Ripples In the Water
by samus18
Summary: After being threatened by a wolf, a sheep unknowingly is thrust into a series of events, both frightening and wonderful, that will impact her life forever. A story about the sheep who was threatened by the wolf in the second KFP movie.
1. Set The Way

I. Set The Way

* * *

><p>The wolf hung onto his only belongings with a clenched, begrudging fist. All that he had in the world, he tucked into the small sack that bounced lightly against his back as he trudged through Gongmen City with the others who had been banished from the land. His mind was awhirl as he replayed the images of the last few days' events over and over in his head. He still couldn't believe they had lost, couldn't understand where Lord Shen had gone wrong...rather, where his <em>plans<em> had gone wrong. The peacock wasn't the only one surprised by the panda bears' power. He had shocked everyone, and the last thing the wolf expected his part in all of this to end with was him trudging sulkily toward the exit of the city. He and his fellow wolves had been defeated. Lord Shen was no more, which meant that without a leader (including their Wolf Boss...he never found out what had happened to him), there was no point in fighting for a cause that had already been lost. They were forced to give up, and - horrifyingly - they were not executed, as would have been an honorable death, but sent away to live with their shame.

The wolf became angry just thinking about it. Daring for a moment to take his eyes off the pathway in front of him, he chanced a glance at the surrounding city. The citizens were careful to keep their distance from their former oppressors. In spite of the fact that the wolves were defeated and evacuating the city, they still posed a potential threat in the eyes of the locals - or so it would seem, judging from their wary glances and uneasy stares. The wolf allowed himself a surreptitious grin. At least he still had the ability to evoke fear in those weaker than him. He could live with that, if nothing else.

It seemed to him a very long walk through the streets of the city as house after house and shop after shop passed from his view, and still it seemed never to end. He ought not be surprised, really - after all, Gongmen City was not famed for its small population.

A sudden loud, clanging sound perked his ears up and brought his attention back into focus. He looked at the source of the noise, and released a shallow breath upon realizing it was just a clumsy local who had dropped her pot on the ground. But right before he averted his eyes, they snapped back to the owner of the pot. He recognized her; it was none other than the sheep he had threatened not a few days before. His eyebrow raised in mild amusement, and...for some reason even _he_ wasn't sure of...he stepped away from his brethren, broke free from the crowd, and silently approached her.

Much later, he would look back on this moment and wonder what had truly compelled him to do what he did. It seems he never got his answer. But what happened afterword is as follows.

* * *

><p>The young sheep hadn't seen him approaching. In fact, her back was faced to him as she scrambled to pick up the various utensils that she had dropped. A spoon there, a fork here, a bowl slid under some vendors' cart. He vaguely caught the slight lilt of her voice as she mumbled an apology to the owner of the vending cart, reaching her arm out to retrieve her item. It was when she stood up and turned around that she finally noticed him standing there, and gave a startled gasp, nearly dropping her bowl again. Her eyes went wide as they had on the first day that he threatened to eat her if she didn't cook him some rice. He had to stifle a laugh at the memory - she had been so flustered. And from the look of it, she was giving him a repeat performance.<p>

Though in spite of her fear, she seemed also to sense that she was in no real danger - not with the guardians of the city back at large to protect its citizens, and not now that it was safe from being occupied by Lord Shen and his soldiers.

He almost found it in himself to be surprised when she turned away from him and began gathering her pots and pans together in a cart - although she did it hurriedly and with a slight tremble. She may be safe, but she did not at all enjoy the memory of being tormented by this wolf. As she organized her cookware, he finally spoke one word in a subtle, almost ominous voice beneath his breath: "_Jia_."

She stopped short and turned to regard him, once again with the same look of utter fear, though this time it was tempered with a tinge of curiosity and puzzlement. "How do you know my name?" She asked in a timid voice.

His eyes widened a little. Then he smiled - none-too-kindly - and answered, "What other name would befit a creature such as yourself?"

She blinked in even deeper confusion, then blushed and turned away yet again to continue piling her belongings into her cart. If possible, he was sure he had just made her even more nervous than she already was. But that's what he had come to do. Not only couldn't he resist the opportunity to test the limits of his daunting demeanor, but he also wanted this sheep to know that _he_ was leaving the city with the last word - not _her_. He would have done exactly that on their first meeting, but he was rudely - and awkwardly - interrupted by a freak show hiding in a dragon costume. Not one of his fonder memories, but he was a stubborn wolf, and refused to let that hinder him again. He would be more careful this time and 'play it safe,' albeit that it wasn't typically his style.

Seeing that she had missed another bowl, she bent over to pick it up - but he was quicker. He snatched it before she could, and pretended to have great interest in it before directing his gaze back to her own nervous one. She stood there silent, hands held together in wavering uncertainty of what was to come.

"You still owe me a bowl of rice," he said in a nearly-growling tone.

She apparently didn't know what to say to this sudden, strange claim. She hoped against hope that he wouldn't force her to take everything back out of her cart and prepare some rice for him - that instead he was just playing a cruel joke on her and would soon leave her to her own business and continue on his way.

"...I..." she started.

But he tossed the bowl to the ground with an awful clatter and said nonchalantly: "I'm not hungry."

Yes, _definitely_ a cruel joke.

She couldn't help but wonder why he insisted on bullying her, and whether or not he was going to rejoin his clan upon leaving the city, or even _if_ he planned on leaving. By the looks it he showed no signs of departing anytime soon. From the first impression she had of him, she felt that she could put nothing past this aggressive wolf. She swallowed, wondering what he was going to do next.

She didn't need to wait long, as the wolf strode up to her and shoved his face directly into hers - another flashback from the first time he confronted her.

"Listen up, sheep - if you think you had the last word the _last_ time we met, you're mistaken. Remember my face well, because you'll be seeing it again."

Then he finally left.

Poor Jia didn't know what to do in the face of his last threat. Her day hadn't gone at all how she hoped it would. She stood there for a second or two, frozen, as it were, in fear and uncertainty, and the promise that this belligerent wolf would be back. But _why_? What had she ever done to _him_? Certainly he had to know that it wasn't _her_ fault she was unable to cook the rice. Was that what this was all about? Or did the wolf have some ulterior motive he wasn't letting her in on? Was he still angry at having been pummeled by those warriors? That was no fault of hers either, though she had certainly been thankful from being spared a pummeling herself.  
>She had no answers to her questions.<p>

Feeling downcast, she picked up her bowl, set it in her cart with the other items, and trudged on home.

She meandered throughout the rest of the evening in brooding silence. Her two sisters became concerned, and proceeded to ask her what was wrong, but she didn't feel comfortable discussing her days' events. Not just yet, anyway.

She was the middle child, neither the youngest nor the oldest of her two sisters. The three of them lived together in a small abode, and they usually took it in turns to help each other with the days' tasks. The oldest sister, Lihua, was the most responsible and the most level-headed, and thus was something of a "mother figure" for the other two. Jia was the best cook among the three of them, and in fact it was in this above-average skill that she chose and was able to make a mediocre living out of. Every day, she set up shop, as it were, and served meals to very willing customers. Though she was not quite so infamous as to be recognized on the streets by the general populace, she was well on her way to becoming such. At least, that's what her sisters were always telling her. And they _meant _it. Jia was a marvelous cook. She loved her sisters dearly and felt grateful for their support and encouragement.

But recently she felt distanced from them, as a result of her own solitude and refusal to talk to them about the problems she had been having of late. Though, her uneasiness began to dissipate somewhat a week later, when the thought of the wolfs' threat had been watered down as a result of everyday habits. She finally opened up to her sisters about what had happened that day.

The three of them sat at table, eating the enticing meal Jia had prepared for them (with their help, of course.) Lihua and the youngest, Shu, enjoyed their dinner without hesitation, but Jia stared at the chopsticks in her hand; food was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment. Always quick to pick up on her sisters' feelings, Lihua eyed her with gentle curiosity and said, "Jia...you're not eating."

Jia blinked despondently and set her chopsticks down.

"What's wrong, sister? You haven't been speaking very much lately." Lihua gazed at her sadly and touched a hoof to her shoulder.

Deciding that now was the right time to tell them what had happened, Jia told them about her confrontation with the wolf.

Lihua and Shu were as surprised as Jia knew they would be.

"Jia, why didn't you _tell_ us about this?"

"I didn't want to worry you two. Besides, I have no way of knowing whether or not that wolf was lying," she explained quickly. "I don't think he actually means to come back."

"But he _threatened_ you! You can't just ignore something like that!" Shu exclaimed. "You need to tell the authorities, or -"

"Shu, _please_!"

"She's right, Jia." Lihua stood up from her chair and walked over to her sisters' side. "Shu and I are only saying this because you're our sister, and we don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Jia sighed and stared at her bowl of rice. "I know." A pause. "I'm sorry for not telling you about this sooner. But...it's been a week since I saw him. I really don't think he's coming back."

"And what if he does?"

She said nothing, but turned back to her rice and shook her head. "I don't know."

"Exactly, which is why we need to _tell_ someone."

She gave only the slightest nod in affirmation. "...Ok."

Lihua patted her hoof. "Everything will be alright, Jia."

Whether her sister was right or wrong, Jia never found out for certain. Although the message had been carried to the guardians of the city, and although the security had been raised - not only for the citizens, but throughout the rest of the province as well (some of the council had taken the threat to mean a large-scale assault on Gongmen City, and were taking no chances as to the possibility) - things still didn't seem quite right. News had obviously spread like wildfire that the wolves had made yet another threat to this place. In fact, the rumors didn't stop there. Some were saying that the wolf leader was preparing to gather more followers to launch another attack. Others were saying that they would bring more of the treacherous fireworks and level the entire city to the ground. But the craziest rumor circulating the area was that Lord Shen was alive and working undercover to rally the wolves against Gongmen City once again.

Jia heard all of these rumors as she set up shop every day. She inwardly cringed every time someone so much as mentioned one of them, for she felt that she was more than partly the cause for it. If she hadn't told her sisters about that wolf, then word wouldn't have traveled to the kung fu masters or the grand council, the city wouldn't be heavily guarded, and these crazy rumors (at least, she _hoped_ they were crazy and far enough from the truth) wouldn't have everyone on edge. Still, she tried her very best to proceed with her daily rituals without letting the buzz get to her too much. But she was a sensitive person by nature, and she wondered how much longer she would be able to endure the stress of it all. Besides, there was still that tiny, nagging thought in the back of her mind...the possibility that Lihua was right...that the wolf might indeed come back - not just to the city, but to _her_, and for what reason she dare not imagine. The last two times they had met, he wasn't at liberty to kill her on the spot. But then again, why should he go out of his way to murder a poor, innocent civilian? Especially when doing so would achieve nothing, other than perhaps some sadistic pleasure on his part.

For weeks now, these thoughts plagued her mind. Even her sisters were of little comfort, though they tried their best to reassure her that they were well-protected, and that the rumors going throughout the city would die out soon and people would lose interest in them.

Still, she wasn't entirely sure of her safety. She didn't believe that the city was going to be attacked by a pack of wolves, or that it would be demolished and leveled to the ground. She had witnessed the might and skill of the kung fu warriors who protected them all, and had few doubts about their abilities. She knew that the cannon weapons which had posed so great a threat to everyone before were now all destroyed, and that the odds of anyone gathering any means to create more of them were very slim. But one didn't need big problems such as these to feel worried. Jia was the only one who received a threat, and from only _one_ wolf. It seemed like that didn't mean anything to anyone but her. Her greatest hope was that the wolf had forgotten about her completely and didn't mean to come back to haunt her.

Even so, the poor sheep felt a strong need to talk to someone about her inner struggle. For some reason, choosing to talk to either of her sisters didn't appeal to her. She was close to them, but she wanted to talk to someone whose opinions weren't influenced by the fact that they were related. 'Or older,' Jia thought, thinking of all the times Lihua had taken her mother role a little too seriously, sometimes even going so far as to act like a mother hen to Shu and Jia.

She had always tried being patient and respectful to Lihua when she got that way, but it was hard. Lihua was simply too dead-set on her responsibility as the oldest to offer Jia any real comfort, and Shu wouldn't be able to offer any helpful solution. She was a smart sheep, but she just didn't have the insight that Jia felt she needed.  
>That was when she decided to make what seemed to her a drastic decision and consult someone she knew to be very wise.<p>

Somewhere in the city lived a Soothsayer who, if Jia understood it correctly, had actually served the royal peacock family for years. In fact, most, if not all, of the people in Gongmen City knew who she was. Jia wasn't quite sure how she would go about getting an audience with so important a person, but she felt she had to try. She couldn't put her mind at ease until she talked to someone, and the Soothsayer seemed the best and wisest (literally) option. In fact, it was several days before she decided to act upon this plan - not that it was much of a plan. She knew that the palace was guarded more heavily than the city itself, and didn't know what she would say to the guards or if they would grant her an audience with the Soothsayer. Perhaps this mysterious old woman didn't even live inside the palace. Maybe she had an abode all her own. She knew very little about the woman in general, and didn't know whether or not she still lived in the city, much less the palace. With so many questions swimming around in her head, she nervously trotted up the steps to the entryway and, as she knew she would, came face to face with several guards..._kung fu masters_, as was their proper title.

Jia certainly didn't look threatening, which must have been why one of the masters (recognizable as Master Ox) stepped forward and asked in a mild tone, "What can I do for you?"

She gave a polite bow, hoofs neatly clasped together, and forced herself to look him in the eye. "I was wondering, if you knew where I could find the Soothsayer. My name is Jia," she added quickly, almost forgetting that addressing herself was the proper thing to do. This was, after all, her first time getting even this close to the palace, not to mention coming face to face with the martial artists.

"The Soothsayer no longer resides at the palace."

Her eyes widened a little, then her face fell. "She doesn't? ...Do you...do you know where she does live?" She tried to keep her voice humble and even.

"No. None of us have heard from her, but she's presumably still in the city. Is that all I can do for you?"

She nodded and gave another bow. "...Yes...Thank you, Master Ox..."

* * *

><p>The wolf and his clan had settled on the outskirts of some valley overshadowed by high mountains. If to judge the distance from Gongmen Province, he would have guessed they were only a mere three months' march. But they hadn't traveled far, or for very long. The reason for this was elusive to the wolf, but he still felt much too disappointed with his own plight to be concerned about the plight of his clan. It was selfish, he knew it, but his spirit was filled with his own problems currently, and no one else's. It was not very wolf-like, as wolves always worked together as a pack, and that's what made them strong. But this particular would-be army was not known for its virtuous traits.<p>

They had set up tents, started small fires, and used whatever methods they could to find food and salvage the kind they already had with them. Some of them were able to keep hold of their weapons, having concealed them within their garments from the masters of Gongmen City, who had confiscated any and all semblance of weaponry from the wolves. So they were not entirely without some advantage when it came to hunting - or scavenging, for that matter. But however well-off they were, no one seemed to know what to do next. Not even their supposed leader, who had been the Wolf Boss's second-in-command. Without their true leader, they were worse for the wear.

The wolf settled outside of his own tent - thankfully he _had_ one - and slowly stirred the soup from the wooden bowl that rested in his paw.

"_Renshu_!" Some other wolf addressed him by his name.

He growled a "what?" without looking up from his bowl.

"Do you think you could spare a little soup?" Renshu raised his piercing gaze up at the wolf, as he nervously continued, "My brother and I are sharing our provisions, and we've run out -"

"_No_." Renshu looked back down at his soup.

"But you have plenty!" the wolf said quickly, as if he had anticipated the refusal.

"Yeah, but that doesn't make it any better tasting." He sipped from his spoon and waved it dismissively. "Go beg from someone else!"

It was lucky for him that the other wolf wasn't up for a fight. He shot Renshu one last parting scowl before trying his luck elsewhere.

Renshu ate the rest of his soup in brooding silence. When he was finished, he set his bowl down, and was instantly reminded of a finer specimen of the same type, rolling on the ground under some vendors' cart, and of a delicate white arm reaching out to grab it.

Before his thoughts proceeded any further, his name was spoken again. "Renshu!"

He recognized the voice as belonging to one of his friends, Zhong. He looked over his shoulder up at the other wolf who was leaning on his tent pole. "Short time no see, Zhong," he greeted in a deadpan tone.

He nodded, regarding Renshu with his good eye. The other had a permanent scar over it that marred any future use, but the eye that stared at him shone with an eager sort of welcome that spoke only of comradeship. "I don't know if you've heard the latest from Tao," he said, referring to their current leader.

"Don't lean on my tent pole," Renshu said flatly.

He removed his elbow and stepped over to his friend, sitting down on the dewy grass. "He's thinking about returning to our homeland."

Renshu snapped his head up, regarding Zhong with a look of mild shock. "Our _homeland_?"

He nodded. "That's right."

"You mean he's thinking of returning there _himself_, or with _all of us_?"

Zhong shrugged a shoulder. "I assume he meant the lot of us. Traveling there by himself would be too dangerous, wouldn't it?"

"No more dangerous than it would be for the whole pack." He paused. "You _know_ why we can't return there. _Everyone_ knows. What's gotten into Tao's head _this _time?"

Zhong patted him roughly on the back and stood up. "I'm just the messenger. Thought you should know, if you didn't already." He gave a harsh laugh and left his friend to mull over the news.

If Renshu was feeling in a foul mood before, it was increased tenfold by this new revelation. Going back to their homeland was the last thing he wanted to do. He left it in the first place to start a new life for himself, and although said life turned out to be...let's just say, not exactly in the category of 'good Samaritan', it was his own life - one he lived by his _own_ choice, his _own_ decisions. The memory of the province they were once a part of sent a shiver down his spine. They were not free there. They never had been, really. Of course, neither were they completely free under Lord Shen's will, but it was true that they had served him by choice. What Lord Shen would have done if they refused to adhere to his wishes, he didn't know.

One thing Renshu had decided for certain was that if Tao made the decision to go back to their old province, he most definitely was not going with them. If given the choice, he would even prefer to eke out an existence in the wilderness by himself rather than be forced to return back there. Wolves were not usually solitary creatures, but neither was it completely unheard of for a wolf to live alone, without belonging to a pack. Although the thought didn't appeal to him, Renshu felt he was choosing the lesser of two evils.

Mimicking Zhong, he shrugged a shoulder and withdrew into his tent. He may be jumping to conclusions - after all, Zhong said that Tao was only _thinking_ of leading them back to their province. Until he found out more adequate information, he refused to let his already-tired mind succumb to more stress. Evening was getting on, and although he didn't usually turn in this early, he decided a rest was much needed.

Two days had actually passed before Renshu had gotten his news for sure. The news was spreading throughout their camp as quick as lightning that Tao was ordering them all to move out. It appeared that he had decided to travel back to their old province after all. Renshu bared his teeth and growled with frustration when his fears were affirmed. He made no move to take down his tent and gather his things together - he had already decided that he was not going back, and he _meant _it. Looking around, he noticed there were a number of other wolves who were hesitating as well. Perhaps he wasn't the only one who had qualms about Tao's decision.

He sprinted over to two who also weren't bothering to pack their things. "Hey," he growled in a low tone. "Are you guys concurring with Tao's decision?"

"No way," one of them said in no uncertain terms. "_We're_ not going back home."

"Tao's crazy if he thinks we'd have a better chance there than we would out here," the second one agreed.

"Just what I thought," Renshu mumbled.

At that moment, Tao himself strode by, stopping when he noticed the lack of activity from the wolves. "What are you two standing around for? Don't you know we're moving out? Get _packing_!"

Renshu was the first to step up. "No," he said, baring his fangs.

Tao did a double-take. "_What_?"

"I said _no_! I'm _not_ going back to our homeland - not if you _dragged_ me there would I go back."

Tao growled, but the two standing behind Renshu backed him up. "We're not going, either," the first one said, crossing his arms in perfect imitation of a stubborn child.

Realizing that this could get out of hand, Tao raised his head and announced: "Anyone else feel like joining this ragtag group? They're abandoning our pack like cowards!"

All the wolves within hearing distance stared. But after a minute of silence, about ten stepped forward. Tao seethed. "Have it your way - and good _riddance_. We don't need weakling pups in our pack," he spat and walked off, no longer giving the deserters any more heed.

Renshu let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He hadn't expected the situation to have gone so well. But wolves were creatures that stuck together as often as possible, and rarely came to the point of killing their own, unless the need was dire. He had to admit that it was kind of nice being able to stand there with his provisions and not have to trudge along with the other wolves toward a potentially worse future. Yet it was also disheartening. He wished that Tao hadn't made this decision for them - more so that the others wouldn't have gone along with it. But at least there were still a handful of wolves who were staying. In fact, when the pack began to move on, Renshu noticed that their own group seemed larger than the ten they had had before. Apparently there were actually quite a few wolves who shared his idea about going back home, but who didn't want to risk the wrath of Tao or his followers face-to-face.

'And they say _I'm_ a coward,' Renshu thought disdainfully. But he wasn't about to complain. He got off luckier than he thought he would, and the position he now found himself in was much better than having stood in an empty valley watching the entire pack leave without him, while he stood there helpless with nothing but a ramshackle tent and a few provisions to last him. (Well, the part about him being helpless might not be entirely true, but details aside.)

When the back of the very last soldier had disappeared over the horizon, one of the wolves looked around at the group and said, "What do we do _now_?"

No one answered right away, but Zhong - who was among the first ten to join them - walked up to Renshu and said: "You're in a nice mess now. All of these wolves will be looking to _you_ for guidance, seeing as how _you_ started the rebellion in the first place."

Renshu was inclined to be angry at this. "I didn't start a rebellion! I merely told our leader that I refused to go back home! It's not _my _fault all of you decided to do the same."

"So what now? We all go our separate ways? We have to live _somehow_," said another.

"We need a leader if we're to function as a pack," put in someone else.

This sort of debating went on for some time, before it began to get late and the wolves that still had tents with them moved to set them up, vowing to settle the matter of a proper leader tomorrow. Renshu retired in a grumpy mood, and was even beginning to wonder if being left alone out there by himself wouldn't have been the better option. For some reason, some of the wolves had the audacity to demand what they were to do, from _him_. Renshu had no problem putting them in their place and telling them in no uncertain terms that he was not responsible for "the lot of you flea-bitten varmints in wolf's clothing."

The next day, though it dawned bright and early, seemed to offer no more hope for the measly pack. They were, by now, struggling for existence and nearly fed up with the route they had chosen to take. About a week later is when a fair amount of them decided - shockingly - to actually go their separate ways, in search perhaps of some village or abode that would take them in as laborers and workers. They'd still be struggling to live, but it was better than scavenging an empty land for food and living under a flimsy tent (especially when it rained.) By the end of the second week, only Renshu, Zhong, and another named Bolin had remained in their little camp. It was during this time that Renshu decided that maybe they ought to follow the others' example and go out in search of a village or city where no one would recognize them. Food wouldn't last forever, game was scarce in this land, and they were slowly going out of their minds toiling through each day without any direct purpose other than to survive.

He didn't expect Zhong or Bolin to agree, but they did - their morale had sunk as low as his.

When they felt inclined to pack their things - the only possessions they had in all the world - they set out in the opposite direction of the setting sun.

For a long time, it seemed like, their fortune hadn't changed much from how they fared in the valley. The only difference now was that they were traveling. But to what purpose or end, they didn't yet know.

One day, as they were making camp for the night, Bolin looked at their surroundings, glanced at the sun setting behind the mountains, and asked: "Aren't we heading in the same direction we were traveling from in the first place?"

"No," Renshu said flatly as he stirred some soup over a small fire.

"You sure? 'Cause I could swear these surroundings look familiar. Not to mention -"

"It's just your imagination, that's all," Renshu snapped and stood up. Zhong and Bolin stared as he retreated into his tent.

A minute later, Zhong showed up. "Knock knock."

Renshu sighed. "_What_?"

"Bolin and I can't help but wonder why you've been in such a bad mood lately." His tone was even and disarming, but Renshu knew Zhong, and he knew that he was going to sit there and pester him until he got a satisfying answer.

"Do you have eyes?" he asked and gestured around himself. "We're in the middle of nowhere heading towards no destination with our food running short, our supplies running low, and no plan - not to mention, _pack_- whatsoever."

Zhong shoved his arm. "_You're _the one who made this decision, Ren. Would you rather have gone with Tao and the others?"

"No..."

"Didn't think so. _So_...what do you say we keep going and try to keep our spirits up? What else are we going to do, sit here and die?"

"I _get _it," he huffed and rested his chin in his paw. "Sorry."

Zhong stood up and ducked out of the tent. "Soup smells like it's burning. Let's eat."

As luck (or fate) would have it, their circumstances had proceeded uneventfully for a good several days, until one evening. They were setting up camp as usual, when they heard a faint noise in the distance coming from the direction they had been traveling from. The three wolves stood stone still, ears perked up and eyes scanning the horizon for the source of the noise. It sounded like the creaking of wooden wheels. Sure enough, that's exactly where the noise was coming from, for they now saw a small wagon - no, three wagons - approaching them. Or perhaps they were just passing through. The wagons were being pulled by several people at a time.

Zhong leaned in and whispered, "What should we do?"

"Stay on your guard," Renshu whispered, not taking his eyes off the approaching wagons. His hand rested on the hilt of his dagger, the only weapon he had left. A tinge of uneasiness shot down his spine as he realized that he forgot to ask Zhong or Bolin whether or not they had weapons with them. It was too late to ask them now.

The wolves were still as the wagons creaked and rolled through the tall grass not thirty feet away. They could now make out the travelers easily as they sat on top or walked alongside the small group of wagons, talking in gentle tones and laughing lightly. They were mostly pigs, rabbits, and sheep. The lot of them would barely have been enough to make the three wolves break a sweat, should they have chosen to fight. But the wolves were far from in the mood to fight or raid any passersby - they were much too weary from living a rustic lifestyle for the past few weeks. For once in their lives, they were inclined the let the caravan pass without any trouble. Indeed, they thought that the travelers would take no notice of them at all.

As it happened, the lead wagon halted to a stop and the rabbit sitting atop it looked at the wolves, and sat there staring for a minute. The wolves, in turn, said nothing, but kept their hands on their weapons.

The rabbit eyed them uncertainly and spoke: "You three lost?"

"No," Renshu answered.

"...Do you need a lift?"

"Yes," Zhong blurted, earning him a punch in the arm from Renshu.

"Climb aboard - we've got plenty of room. We're heading towards the city."

Zhong immediately waded through the tall grass toward the caravans, but Renshu was beside him in an instant, hissing in his ear: "What do you think you're _doing_, Zhong?"

"Taking the first opportunity I've had to get out of this mess you got us into."

"Oh, so it's just _you_ now, is it?"

As the wolves stepped into the dim light of the lanterns hanging from the wagon, the rabbit got his first good look at them and his eyes grew wide. "You're...you're _wolves!_"

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?" Zhong stated breezily as he lifted himself into the topmost seat of the wagon. The sheep and pigs hanging onto the wagon handles trembled.

Bolin and Renshu hopped on as well, and the rabbit shook in his seat, shaking his head. "N-no...of course not."

The wagon continued on its journey.

* * *

><p>Days went by that turned into weeks. A week multiplied and became several months. By this time, Jia actually felt that her life was, for the most part, back to normal. The city was still on alert, but she supposed that that was normal, too. Her only regret was never having found the Soothsayer. Actually, after being disappointed by Master Ox's news, she didn't feel very inclined to search the entire city for this apparently elusive woman. She didn't even know of anyone she could ask who might know where this goat lived. But be that as it may, the gossip in the city had long ago died down, just like her sisters said it would. More importantly, her suspicions that that wolf might return had also died. By now, it felt like so long ago that he threatened her, that she felt he really <em>had<em> been bluffing and didn't mean to come back. It certainly had to have been a cruel parting joke on his part - to make her feel paranoid for a while and almost lose her senses.

Jia shook her head as she set out the bowls on the table next to her shop.

"Excuse me - may I have two bowls of this, please?" said a mother pig who was with her young son.

"Of course," Jia said cheerfully and prepared the soup for them. She exchanged it for money and waved to the little piglet before they trotted off to take a seat at a nearby table.

"Hi, Jia," Lihua said, stepping up from behind the cart. "Is my sisters' business thriving as usual?"

"You give me too much credit, Lihua." She smiled and pulled out some more bowls from the compact cupboards.

"I'm glad to see that things are back to normal." She gazed at her sister for a moment. "By the way, I heard that you were seeking an audience with the Soothsayer."

Jia's hand slowed as she set down one of her pans. "Yes...I was." She eyed her sister. "Why?"

Lihua set down the basket she had been carrying, filled with spools of yarn and cloth. "I just found it a little strange. Are you trying to get your fortune told?"

Jia sighed. "No, I wasn't trying to get my fortune told. I was just...wanting some advice."

"Why didn't you come to _me_?"

Naturally, there was no short abundance of reasons in Jia's mind as to why she didn't come to her sister. But she wasn't sure which one to present without hurting her feelings. She waited several seconds before deciding to succumb to the truth. "Lihua...even though you're the oldest, and you're my sister...that doesn't mean that you are always the right person to go to for advice." She looked down, not wanting to meet her sisters' eyes just yet. She wasn't sure how she was going to take this bit of news, and although Lihua was level-headed, she also knew that being in charge of the two younger sisters meant that a certain amount of pride had crept in to her thinking as well. Well...maybe "pride" wasn't the right word. It was more like "authority."

To her surprise, all Lihua did was sigh, and say, "...Jia...I can tell you where the Soothsayer is if you still want to find her." She picked up her basket. "I just wish you'd trust me a little more."

This stung the young sheep more than any words of anger or belittlement. She performed the rest of her tasks in mild misery, but she was also a little confused. She wondered how it was that her sister knew where the Soothsayer lived. She wondered why her sister didn't dish out a lecture or two, as she was so fond of doing.  
>That night, as she snuggled under the covers of her bed (neatly made on the floor, but soft as feathers to the touch) she found it hard to sleep. And when she did sleep, her dreams kept her subconscious mind in a whirl. She woke up early the next morning feeling rather terrible. When she didn't show up for breakfast, Lihua lightly knocked on her door and asked to come in. She felt her sisters' forehead.<p>

"I'm fine," Jia insisted, sitting up. "I have to get ready. I can't miss a day of business; we need the money."

In spite of Lihua's protests, Jia got herself ready and carted her materials along the usual route through the city to set up shop. Lihua worked as something of a seamstress, and Shu spent her time making glass ornaments. There was a kindly old pig who acted as Shu's mentor. She let the sheep work in her studio, teaching her how to make all manner of trinkets and decorations by using the art of glass blowing. Obviously, the three sisters couldn't afford to have their own studio, let alone the materials to work with - which is why they felt very indebted to the kind sow who was willing to build and mold Shu's obvious skills, and without asking for a single coin in return.

Jia felt much better as the day progressed. By the end of it, she decided that she would ask Lihua where the Soothsayer lived. It wasn't so much that she felt she needed to talk to someone about her old problems anymore - she was just curious. Maybe she would also inquire as to how Lihua knew about such information. And she certainly did that evening.

"Liiiihua...I believe you told me that you know where the Soothsayer lives." Jia sang, giving her older sister "the face," looking every bit the innocent little ewe. Lihua cringed and set her chopsticks down, brushing a hoof along her soft cream-colored fur.

"You win," she said, but smiled nevertheless. "...If you want to know...she lives directly at the foot of the palace in a small abode, near the gardens. It's no secret, really - I'm surprised you couldn't find that out."

Jia frowned at her sister, but let it go. They were prone to squabbling now and then, but she found out what she wanted to know, and that's what mattered. Let Lihua think she knew it all - come tomorrow, Jia would go and visit the Soothsayer and ask for advice. Though, at this point, she wasn't sure what advice she was seeking. She was over her fear of the wolf - that is, as long as he kept his distance - and wasn't so afraid of him returning anymore.

"So you apparently still need some advice, hm?" Lihua said, as if she had read Jia's thoughts.

She shrugged. "I don't really know."

Lihua shrugged a shoulder. "Well it's your business, not mine."

Jia lifted her gaze; her sister was staring into her own bowl. "Lihua...don't look so downcast..."

"I'm not." She raised her head and smiled. Jia sighed.

Shu had said nothing throughout the conversation, and kept to herself. The rest of the evening was spent in silence.

* * *

><p>The sheep stood before the pretty red door with eyes wide, hoofs clasped together as they were wont to do in uncertain circumstances. She inhaled hollowly, and knocked on the door. Only a few seconds passed by, but it seemed like minutes to Jia before the door finally opened. There indeed emerged the wise, kind face of the Soothsayer from the dimness of the enclosure. She eyed Jia with gentle curiosity, neither welcoming nor hostile, her hoof delicately placed upon her small wooden cane. Jia, remembering her manners, bowed politely and greeted the elderly goat.<p>

"Hello. My name is Jia. I was wondering...I was wondering if you could help me." She smiled, hoping to appear genuine and not overly desperate or nervous.

The Soothsayer glanced around outside, then graced the sheep with a disarming smile and opened her door for the youth to enter. "Come in, child."

Jia stepped in and the Soothsayer closed the door behind her. She gestured to a small chair, "Please, sit down." She also took a seat across from the young sheep, and eyed her for a moment or two - a sort of calm, calculating gaze, as if she were able to extract all of the answers to her questions simply by gazing into Jia's eyes. Finally she asked, "What can I do for you, dear?"

Jia no longer felt nervous being in such close proximity to someone who, she believed, was immensely important and gifted. In fact, the Soothsayer seemed to have an oddly soothing effect on those who were in her presence, and Jia was not immune to this phenomenon. So she readily explained to the wise goat all of the difficulties and trials she had faced in the past several months. She made it clear that she felt that the root of her problem lied with her unpleasant encounter with the wolf. The Soothsayer listened gravely, occasionally nodding her head, her exquisite horns bobbing with the motion.

When Jia had finished, the Soothsayer smiled softly and placed both hands on her walking stick. She stood up. "I don't suppose you've come to have your future foretold."

"Actually, no."

The Soothsayer's smile widened, and Jia realized that this was no surprise to her. "No, indeed. It seems you're talented enough at predicting your own future." She gave a soft laugh.

Jia didn't know what she meant by this, but before she could ask, the Soothsayer continued: "Why did you come to me, dear?"

"I...I had heard that you were very wise."

"...You are still worried that this wolf may return to you?"

"Well...I didn't think I was worried anymore, but I guess I am."

"Hm. The memory still sits in the back of your mind. And sit there it will - no words of mine will put your mind at rest, child." She gazed at Jia with her vintage display of kindness and compassion. Jia gazed off at nothing in particular, mulling over the words that the wise old woman had given her.

She then looked at the Soothsayer and said, "Is there nothing you can do? No advice you can give me?"

"Oh, there _is_. But you will not like it." She raised her eyebrows and, in harmless mockery of a sulking child, turned away from Jia, compelling her, testing her to see if she really wanted to hear what the Soothsayer had to say.

Jia stood up, quite willing to take the bait that was given her. "What is it?"

The Soothsayer stopped, paused for a moment, and then turned to gaze equably back at the girl. "To put your mind at ease, you must face this wolf once again, and face, also, the answer that belongs to the question you keep asking yourself."

Jia's face fell. "You mean...I have to search him out? I have to find him and..._see _him?"

"Perhaps not. Maybe..." here, she hesitated, "maybe he will come to _you_." It was clear she felt uneasy saying this herself. She was very aware of how uncomfortable Jia was when talking about being face-to-face with the wolf, and although she didn't enjoy delivering such advice, she knew that she had to give the sheep what she was asking for.

Jia now felt that she would be leaving the Soothsayer's home in a much worse state than when she entered. But in spite of the unsavory advice she had received, she thanked the Soothsayer for her time, and was about to take her leave. She wasn't sure how much more she could handle, but the Soothsayer said one last thing:

"Jia...remember that I told you, that you must do this to put your mind at ease. But be warned that there may be even further consequences. If you meet this wolf again, it may shake the very core of your heart." Staring into the goat's grief-ridden eyes, Jia could tell that it was no joke or exaggeration. Though she didn't quite understand what the Soothsayer meant, she wanted to take her words to heart and obey this warning...whatever it foretold of.

That night, Jia was a stranger to sleep once again. She rested her hoofs on her stomach and stared at the ceiling. She listening to the sound of the wind in the trees outside, gazed out of her window at the twinkling stars that glistened beyond reach. She brought up a memory of being cradled in her mother's arms as she looked up at the sky one night, asking her mother to give her a star for her birthday.

She smiled and closed her eyes, determined to feel relaxed enough to fall asleep. But sleep never came. Giving up any and all hope for a good night's rest, Jia threw off the cover of her blanket and quietly stepped outside of the house. The air was cool and refreshing. She inhaled deeply, taking in the night air, and decided to walk a little ways down the street. The city was almost deserted at this time of night. The only inhabitants were those few "night owls" who were more nocturnal and less diurnal than the majority of Gongmen City's peasants. As such, they minded their own business, and Jia knew she had nothing to fear from them.

Her feet carried her over to one of the little koi ponds that dotted the city. She sat down by its edge and admired the dark shapes of the koi fish swimming around in the moonlit water, blissfully unaware of the world outside their own little pool. She smiled and blinked softly, leaning back on her hoofs and looking up at the sky. Somehow it felt good to be out there all alone, with no one around her, no hustle and bustle of the city the way it was during the day, no noise, no distraction. Just her and the stars and the moon and the koi pond...

...Imagine her surprise, then, when she felt a strong hand grip her shoulder from behind, whirling her around, and clasping her mouth.

She certainly gave an alarmed shriek, but it was stifled by the dark, furry hand. Whoever had grabbed her was now behind her, with one of her wrists painfully pinned against the small of her back. She couldn't turn her face to see who the attacker was, but she felt hot breath right next to her ear. Unable to cringe away, she heard a voice say: "I don't want you to say a word. I need a place to stay, and you're going to give it to me. I will _not_ hurt you. I'm going to release you now, and if you scream, you'll wish you _hadn't_. Do you understand?"

She nodded as well as she could under the firm hold of this stranger's arm. And by the powers, she _recognized _that voice.

Her heart was beating at a dangerously high speed, but true to her word, she did not scream when the hand removed itself from her mouth. In fact, she was too afraid even to turn around and face this person. Instead, he stepped around to face _her_, directly in the light of the moon, and her suspicions were confirmed. It was the very same wolf she had met months ago. The same wolf who had threatened to cook her if she didn't prepare his rice.

She couldn't breathe.

He stood there gazing at her for a minute and, had she been less frightened and more aware of his body language, would have realized that there was more amusement in his eyes than hostility. Of course, she couldn't see this, and the only thing she saw before her was a very threatening, very unwelcoming wolf who posed a very real danger to her.

"Where do you live?" he finally asked.

"Over there," she pointed, answering in a trembling voice barely above a whisper.

"Take me there," he said, glaring at her. She nodded and led the way back to her house, praying the entire way that he would not do something harmful to her or her sisters.

When they made it there, Jia opened the door and - though she hated to do it - motioned for him to come in. She was too afraid not to do as he said, as her life (and the lives of her sisters, for all she knew) may depend on it.

To her horror, the wolf made his way straight toward her room. He beckoned her to follow. Her heart skipped a beat as he closed the door behind them. But to her surprise, he dragged her bed right in front of the door and lied down on it.

He must have seen the look of bewilderment on her face, because he explained, "I can't have you warning anyone in this house of my presence, can I? The last thing I need is to wake up in prison."

Jia understood then: if she tried to leave the room to warn her sisters, she wouldn't be able to do so without waking him up in the process. She supposed then that he wasn't _just_ cruel, but somewhat clever as well. It wasn't very chivalrous of him to take the bed and leave her to the floor, but she expected as much. The wolf didn't seem to have an ounce of kindness or compassion in his heart.

Knowing full-well that she most definitely would not get any sleep, Jia huddled in the corner of her room, hugging her knees close to her chest and gazing out the window once more - only this time, the memories that came to her were not so pleasant.

* * *

><p><strong>AN's**.

Just in case it's still not terribly clear, the two characters in this story are the ones that appeared for only a few seconds in the entire Kung Fu Panda 2 movie. You know, the scene where the wolf threatened that poor sheep who lost her pots and pans to Lord Shen's wolves. Sorry to sound overbearing, it's only because I figure that these are the last two characters that would be written about in a KFP fic.

Assuming that I've done my research well, Jia means "beautiful" in Chinese. If you know this, the part where Renshu steps up to her and says "Jia," without knowing, at first, that this was her name, might make more sense.

I also looked up "Renshu," which apparently means: benevolent forbearance.  
>And if you're still curious:<br>Lihua means: beautiful and flourishing.  
>Shu means: fair.<br>Zhong means: loyal; steadfast.  
>Bolin means: elder brother rain.<p>

I admit I'm not an expert on Chinese culture, but I've actually done a little research while writing this story.  
>I can't say I know whether or not having a red door means anything - heck, for all I know, it could. But as I don't know, hopefully it doesn't mean something bad or weird. Red just seemed a really nice color to give the Soothsayer's door (if I'm not mistaken, red symbolizes luck in Chinese culture, doesn't it? Forgive my ignorance.)<p>

Speaking of the Soothsayer, I have to say that she is easily my favorite character. I'd love if it they had shown more of her in the movie, but it seems she only got a little screen time. In fact, I had originally wanted to write a story about her, but no ideas for a plot came to me. I don't know where the idea for this story came from, but here it is. I have to admit, I'd be surprised if anyone reviews this, because the most popular characters are, obviously, Tigress/Po pairings. Not Random Wolf/Random Sheep pairings. :P


	2. Count Your Blessings

II. Count Your Blessings

* * *

><p>Jia was surprised to open her eyes to sunshine the next morning (though, if she was any judge, it had already technically been 'morning' when she was confronted by that dreaded wolf last night.) She didn't think she would have gotten even a full minute of sleep, but she had. The stress and her previous lack of any rest must have finally compelled her tired body to enter the world of slumber. Gently rubbing her eyes, she flexed her muscles and yawned - and suddenly remembered the presence (or lack thereof) that had been there the night before and <em>wasn't there now<em>. She stood up and raced to the door, but paused immediately. Gathering her courage, she opened the door to her room and was met with the last face she wanted to see.

"Surprised to see me?" the wolf said.

"_Where are my sisters_?" Jia demanded in what she hoped was a forceful voice. But she only succeeded in looking fearful and helpless - at least to the wolf.

"They're safe," he said disinterestedly. "Don't worry, I have no interest in harming you _or_ your sisters. I told you that last night."

"Then what do you want?" She was now backed against the wall, as he stepped into the room, observing it as if he were considering moving in.

"I told you that, too. I need a place to stay."

She shut her eyes tight, dreading the answer to her next question. "How long do you need to stay here?"

"As long as I need to figure out what to do next."

She almost questioned him further, but thought better of it, and kept her inquiries to herself. Though she surely didn't appreciate being intimidated in her own house, she trusted this wolf about as far as she could throw him, and knew it was best if she bided her time until she could figure out how to either get the guards here, or to get him out of the house some other way.

She swallowed and ventured to speak again. "My sisters won't be very happy when they realize we have a wolf as a house guest."

He chuckled. "No, they won't, will they? I expect I'll receive as warm a reception as I did from _you_, Jia."

She froze, before remembering that he had known her name...or rather, had _guessed_ it, all those months ago. A sudden thought came to her, and her boldness came as a surprise, both to her and to the wolf. "What's your name?"

He gazed at her with narrowed eyes. But at last he said, "Renshu."

"Really?" She folded her arms, looking slightly skeptical.

"Really. You're not so scary that I have to hide my identity from you."

She wasn't sure whether or not to take this as an insult, but held her tongue nevertheless. One thing she certainly didn't want to be doing the whole time he was here - however long that would be - was to be walking on eggshells. Wolf or not, this was still her and her sisters' home. She huffed and stared at the floor for a minute before directing her winsome gaze back at him. "I suppose you'll be wanting something to eat."

"Well, now that you mention it -"

She cut him off: "We take our meals at exactly the same times each day. If you miss it, you have to wait until next time. We don't go out of our way to prepare someone a meal if they haven't taken the time to show up for it." She rattled the rules off like a drill sergeant, straightening her back and walking primly toward the door to her room, as if any and all fear she had for the wolf had suddenly vanished. "If you want something to eat, I suggest you don't show up late." Without so much as a glance backward, she left for the kitchen.

Renshu, in turn, was left standing in the room, feeling a bit confused and not a little taken aback at her sudden change in demeanor. He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around the room once more, and decided to follow her to the kitchen.

"Well done," she heard him say as he emerged and sat down, watching her as she prepared breakfast. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"Had what in me?" she asked mildly, keeping her eyes on the task at hand.

"The gall to stand up to _me_, that's what, kiddo."

She sighed. "You will address me as _Jia_, while you're here." In truth, she didn't mind nicknames now and then, but she wasn't on friendly terms with this wolf, and didn't want him to feel at liberty to give her pet names.

"And there it is again." He laughed, rubbing his muzzle with a bandaged hand. "Alright, Jia. Suites you much better than 'kiddo' anyway."

Her shoulders stiffened. There it was again, that unusual aspect to his humor. She didn't understand this guy. Hardly thirty minutes into the day, and she already found him unbearable. It wasn't that he was annoying, it was just...he made her uncomfortable in a way that went beyond just his aggressive nature.

Wanting to change the subject, she said, "Lihua and Shu will be down any minute. Try not to scare them." She left the kitchen and headed back up to her room, closing the door behind her.

Renshu sat there by himself, and leaned an elbow on the table. He wouldn't have liked to admit it, but he hoped that Jia would be back down sooner than her sisters. If they showed up and saw him sitting there, they'd go into conniptions - if he was _lucky_. He needed her to explain the situation to them. Mulling this over, he idly picked up a pair of chopsticks that were left on the table and started tapping them. He heard a door open and felt a slight sense of relief as Jia came down dressed in her usual attire. He stared at her as she focused her attention back on the cooking.

"I have to attend to my business today, so I'll be gone." This time she did turn to look at him. "I don't want you doing anything bad to my sisters."

He glared at her. "I -"

" - said you wouldn't harm them, I know." She gazed at him for a moment longer before heaving another restrained sigh and turning back to her preparations.

Renshu continued to gaze at her with his trademark sneer. This sheep wasn't really what he had expected her to be. Well, she _was, _but she was more, as well.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of movement upstairs. He squeezed his eyes shut and sat calmly at the table, awaiting what was to come. Jia had also turned away from her cooking and kept her eyes fixed on the stairs, as Shu and Lihua entered the room. Lihua didn't even make it to the last step before she froze and stared at the wolf sitting at her table.

"Lihua, it's ok," Jia immediately reassured her.

Shu had taken in the sight before her as well, and had actually taken a step back up the stairs.

"..._Jia_..." Lihua said in barely-restrained bafflement, "is there something you would like to _tell_ me?" Her voice trembled. "Who _is_ this? Who _are_ you?" She demanded, her terrified eyes darting from her sister to Renshu.

To everyone's surprise, it was Renshu who spoke up. "You two nanny-goats can relax, for crying out loud. I'm not here to hurt anyone."

Jia glanced at him, almost hating herself for doing this, but she said, "You two come and sit down. There's nothing to fear, ok? We'll explain everything."

After much convincing on both Jia and Renshu's part, the two sisters eventually managed to sit at table without blowing a gasket - they even managed to swallow some tea without rattling the fine porcelain cups. Renshu then begrudgingly explained to them his situation, and how Jia had "kindly" allowed him a stay at their abode. Jia's head snapped up and her eyes shot out at Renshu at this unexpected claim, but she was met with a particularly hostile stare, and decided that it was best to keep her mouth shut.

It wasn't all flowers and sunshine for Renshu, though. Even though he was grateful for a place to be staying at, he didn't like being at the "mercy" of these fearful women, and certainly wouldn't even have granted them an explanation, if the situation hadn't deemed it necessary. He may be aggressive and impulsive at times, but he also knew the value of being strategic when the circumstances called for it. He knew that if he didn't at least pretend to be disarming toward these sheep, it would make his stay there that much more difficult. If there was a possibility of keeping them on low alert, it was a chance he'd have to take, even if it meant a little self-sacrifice.

"I didn't know it at the time, but the caravan was actually headed for this city," he continued. "If I had known, I wouldn't have hopped on." He suppressed clenching a fist at the memory of Zhong stupidly walking up to the caravan and joining them without even consulting him first. If it was Renshu's fault that the three of them had been stranded in the middle of nowhere, then it was certainly Zhong's fault that they were now back where they started and in danger of being found out.

Lihua folded her arms and glared at Renshu. "May I ask where your friends are at _now_?"

He lifted an eye to her. "...I don't know. We kinda went our separate ways when the caravan arrived here last night. They could be in jail for all I know...or _care_," he added under his breath.

This time, Jia was the only one paying any attention to her breakfast. Lihua and Shu were too busy staring at their new guest to think about food. Jia was actually surprised that her older sister hadn't yet brought up the fact that she was right about this wolf (possibly) returning. Either she hadn't yet thought of it, or she _did_, and just didn't want to bring it up in front of Renshu.

'I'll never hear the end of it, if she remembers,' Jia thought.

Actually, she was surprised that her sister had taken the situation so well. Though, perhaps that was because she had no choice. She didn't know what Renshu would do to them if they refused to comply with his wishes. She didn't _want_ to know. With a slight cringe, she recalled the first day she had "met" him, how he had threatened to eat her, but in actuality what he really would have done was punch her. Would he go so far as to kill them? The thought had been swirling around in her mind ever since he had returned. Although she knew it was really no fault of hers, Jia felt somewhat responsible for the wolf being in their house. Never mind that _he_ had chosen to confront _her_. Maybe it was just bad luck that she had been outside that night.

Shu blinked her large golden-brown eyes and finally decided to give some attention to her meal. "So, Renshu..." she said after taking a bite, "if you don't know how long you're going to be here, what are you planning on doing?"

"Yes - wouldn't it be easier for you to go out the same way you came in?" Jia asked. "If you'd like some help escaping the city without being caught, I'd be honored to offer my services, believe me."

Renshu eyed her. "That's awfully sweet of you, but I'd prefer to find my way out of the city _without_ the assistance of the guards."

Jia frowned. "If you think I'd betray you -"

"I think you want me out of your house and that you'd do anything to be rid of me."

She gave an impatient sigh. "That's no secret, believe me. Of course I want you gone. That's why I offered to _help_ you. By helping you, I'd be helping myself and my sisters, don't you see?"

Lihua glanced back and forth between the two, then stood up and said, "Well, with any luck, Renshu, you'll be gone before Jia gets home today. As for me, I have a few deliveries to make, and Shu's coming with me."

Shu would normally have groaned at this, but she thought that going with her sister would be a better idea than staying alone in the house with a wolf.

"Actually..." Jia said slowly, thoughtfully, as if the idea was coming to her even as she said the words, "...Renshu...will be coming with _me_."

Three pairs of eyes stared at her.

"What?" they said simultaneously.

"That's right. You see," she leaned forward, appealing to her audience with eager eyes, "we can't have him staying here by himself. He might steal something, or break something. Someone needs to keep an eye on him, and it would be easier if he came with me, because you can only keep track of one child at a time, Lihua."

Her older sister chuckled, but Renshu growled.

"That's true..." Lihua said thoughtfully.

Renshu, however, still gaped at Jia as if she had suggested he go apply for a job at Gongmen Jail. "You can't be serious," he growled. "I can't show myself in public you crazy girl!"

"Oh, you won't have to," she said with more than a little mischief gleaming in her eyes. "Don't worry. I have an idea that'll keep you safe and hidden from public view, while still being within _my_ view."

He frowned and made a fist. "Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it! I don't care what you think of me, I'm _not _leaving this house and putting myself at risk after everything I've already been through!"

* * *

><p>Jia was shuffling through the storage bin, the upper half of her body entirely hidden inside the wooden crate. A few muffled murmurs were heard from inside as she struggled to find what she was looking for. Then, "Aha! Here it is!" she leaned up and presented the most ridiculous-looking (at least in Renshu's opinion) festival mask anyone could have imagined. It was a dragon with two long, yellow snakelike whiskers protruding from the sides of its face. Its' eyes were glaring wide, and its fangs stuck out every which way as if it had been punched in the mouth.<p>

Renshu paused for a full five seconds before taking the mask from her with two fingers, and said: "If I wear this out in public, I'll _definitely_ be arrested."

She giggled and took the mask from him. "It's not what it once was, I admit. Shu made it a few years ago for a festival." She gazed at it, then back at Renshu. "But it'll do nicely. Suites you rather well, I must say," she said under her breath as she stood up and left him to bond with this new fashion accessory.

He barely caught her last phrase, and his ear twitched. He growled.

Later that morning found Renshu and Jia at her usual spot. As she prepared her mobile kitchen, Renshu dragged out a little stool and positioned it behind the food cart, sitting crouched over with his head in his paw.

Jia tried to hide a smile. "Sitting like that is bad for your back," she said matter-of-factly.

"Don't care," he grumbled.

"You will when you get older." She bent down and retrieved a bowl, paused, and then regarded him pensively. Sitting there hunched over with that silly mask on his face sure was a far cry from the ferocious canid she had met the night before. He looked almost...pathetic...withdrawn. She turned her gentle gaze away and started up a small fire. "Would you like to try some soup?" she asked.

He raised his eyes, but said, "No."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure."

She shrugged a shoulder and rolled up her sleeves. "Well, you'll change your mind come lunchtime. You know, my soup may not be the best in the city, but it's getting there." She added in a more subdued tone, "I make a nice bowl of rice, too..."

Having nothing better to do, he chose to humor her and proceeded with this pointless conversation. "I never got a chance to try it."

"...No..."

She seemed suddenly withdrawn herself. The two of them remained silent for a while, Jia busy with her cooking and Renshu with...well, his thoughts. The morning seemed to drag on slowly, but already Jia was receiving a healthy dose of customers. Some of them stared at Renshu. Others (particularly children, except for one kid who screamed and ran) laughed and made silly remarks. But most of them just gave a quick, curious glance and paid little more heed.

"I like your new mascot, Jia," said an antelope woman that had just purchased a bowl of rice with vegetables.

The sheep laughed and thanked the woman, then turned to Renshu and said, "I'm glad I brought you along with me. You're bringing in a lot of business!"

"Well, I'm glad _one of us_ is having a good time," he said angrily, peeking at her through the mask. "When are we going back?"

She looked over her shoulder, eyes wide. "I stay here until about evening some days. It depends on how business goes, really. Some days are better than others."

He heaved an exasperated sigh and stood up. "I'm not going to sit here all day."

She looked at him again. "What do you plan on doing, then?"

"I don't know, but _anything's_ better than sitting here in a stupid dragon mask and being made fun of."

She smiled softly, giving her attention to the cutting of some vegetables. "It's not all that bad, Renshu. You get worked up so easily." When he made no response, she continued, "It's really none of my business...but, seeing as you're here, and that you've chosen _my_ house to take up residence in, I think I have a right to tell you what I think."

She didn't know it, but he had quietly slipped away while her back was turned toward her work. He tiptoed around a nearby corner, hesitated, then stopped altogether when she began to speak again. He cursed himself for not moving on, but her next words caught him by surprise.

"You seem a lot like Lord Shen. I don't know that all I have heard about him is true, but they say that he became bitter because his parents hated him." A pause. She scooped the chopped vegetables to the side and started on another. "I've always thought that people like you got the way they were because of some wound they're still living with from the past. That's how people become bitter, I think. Their world...turns upside down. And they think there's no way out, so they go for the only option they seem to think they have...which leads to hatred, and pain, and...suffering."

Renshu had quietly stepped back to his seat and situated himself there. He glared at her back.

She turned around, unaware that he had ever left, and said: "Do you mind me asking you such a personal question?"

He rubbed his head, feigning irritation, but replied, "Spill it. Anything you ask me can't be worse than having to wear this mask."

Her mouth twitched, but she remained stoic, and said, "Is there some kind of wound you're living with? ...That is...one from your past, that you haven't been able to get over?"

He knew she was going to ask something like this, but he had made up his mind not to answer. Not directly, anyway. "If there is, it's none of your business, sheep."

"Jia."

"Jia, then."

"Just thought I would ask. Of course it's none of my business, like I said." She halted her spiel to do business with a few customers, before there was a break again, and she continued, "Like I was saying, none of my business. I just thought I would ask, because I imagine it would be a terrible thing to have to live with...if you can even call it living."

After another hour or so, Renshu's stomach began to growl.

She smiled; it took every ounce of will power she had not to say, "I told you so!" to the wolf. But instead she just prepared a bowl of rice and other condiments and handed it to him.

He didn't even glance at her as he accepted the bowl. She made some for herself as well, and they both ate in silence.

He didn't want to tell her to her face, but he thought that the food she prepared was excellent. Though she must have guessed his opinion, because he had eaten it so fast, and didn't leave a single grain of rice left. She quietly reached her hand out for the bowl, which he gave to her, and she stood up and went back to her cart. After a few minutes of looting around in her supplies, she looked at him with uncertainty.

"I...have to go and get a few things at the market for my kitchen," she said, hooves clasped together. "Can I ask you to watch this place until I return?" Even as she said the words, she had a gut feeling that asking the wolf for a favor would turn out to be a grave mistake.

But he merely nodded, as carelessly as ever, and said, "No problem. But what am I supposed to do if someone shows up?"

"Just serve them what they want, and accept the money." She briefed him on where to find everything, where to put the money should a customer come and pay for something, and how _not_ to frighten them away. "I'll be back as soon as I can," were her last words before heading down the street and away from her stand.

Although he was less than enthusiastic about his task, his momentary misery was interrupted by the revelation that he had found himself in a more awkward position than he thought he would. More than once, he wondered whether or not it would have been better to have traveled with Tao and the other wolves to their homeland. But each time he thought of it, he'd shake his head and tell himself no, that it _wasn't_ a mistake to have stayed behind. Even having accidentally traveled back to Gongmen City and being forced to hide from the public by taking shelter in the house of a civilian, and having to help that civilian run a food stand while wearing a goofy dragon mask...even _that_ beat having to go back to his former home and living a life devoid of freedom, of choices. Not that he had much in the way of choices currently...but still. He still intended to find a way out of the city, but he needed to figure out how to do it without getting caught. He and all of the other wolves had been banished from Gongmen City, so by rights, he wasn't allowed to be there.

Presently, a pig had walked up to the stand and requested to have a bowl of rice and steamed vegetables. Renshu ducked behind the stand to retrieve the food. His eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat when he saw some rice behind the counter, but no vegetables. Then he spotted them hidden behind some porcelain bowls and let out a small breath.

"Here," was all he said when he handed the pig his order.

The pig looked at him with amusement - no doubt due to the mask - and handed him the money. Renshu took it and placed it exactly where Jia had told him to...

...And did a double-take...

'_What am I thinking_?' he scolded himself, and slipped the money into a small pouch at his side. He blamed the 'blunder' on his distracted mind. He hadn't been himself lately, which was probably why he had agreed to help the pathetic sheep and to wear her dumb mask and serve her dumb customers. But, he had to admit that she had a point when she said it could be worse. It was just hard to imagine anything worse at the moment, when it seemed like hours before she finally came back, even though it really could only have been several minutes.

"What took you so long?" he said when she returned with some ingredients for her miniature restaurant.

"I was only gone for a few minutes," she said calmly. "Did any customers show up?"

"...No."

"Really?" She seemed a bit surprised, but after staring at him for a second, said, "It's probably the mask...I think the customers were fine with _me_ serving them. But they might feel a little uncomfortable around you."

"If you're going to make this 'Bring Your Wolf to Work Day' thing a habit, I'm going to find a different mask."

She ignored his comment and busied herself with heating some water.

When the day finally came to an end - earlier than dusk, much to Renshu's relief - Jia cleaned her work station and packed all of her things up. She didn't ask for his help even once, and toiled with the cart that carried her supplies. Renshu was itching to get back to his temporary domicile and take off the mask, but she was going ever so slowly with her supplies. Finally he could stand it no more, and walked back to where she was still pushing her cart.

"Let me do that," he grumbled and took the handles without waiting for an answer.

She was taken aback by this gesture, but certainly welcomed it, as it was a very tiring thing to be standing all day outside serving food to people. She rubbed her arms as he pushed the cart along at a much greater speed than she had been going at.

"Um...thank you..." she said meekly, knowing full well that he had not done it out of kindness.

"This dragon mask is bothering me," he dismissed her gratitude. "I want to get back as soon as possible."

She nodded. "Of course."

When they made it back to her house, Lihua and Shu were nowhere to be seen. Renshu tore off the mask and flung it aside. Jia walked over and picked it up. She studied it for a moment. "I guess it really is done for. After all, it's only made of paper...I don't think Shu will mind..."

He rubbed his face with his paws. "Are you going to make me do this tomorrow?"

She regarded him sternly. "I still don't trust you, Renshu. I don't feel right leaving you in this house alone."

"Maybe not, but after today, I'm willing to make any agreement not to steal anything if it'll get me out of being your mascot."

She said nothing, but instead stared at him for what seemed a long time. "Was it really that bad being out there today?"

He returned her stare, almost answering right away...but...he had spent all day outside...and while it wasn't the best day of his life, the dimness of the house he was in now felt rather ominous compared to the light of day, the cool, fresh air. The hard look that was so prevalent in his eyes softened a bit, and he said, "No."

A pause. "So...you would be willing to do the same thing tomorrow?"

He rubbed his arm, painfully conscious of how uncomfortable he had become. "I..._guess_ so."

The sheep allowed herself a slight smile. "Good."

Silence again, only this time it seemed misplaced to the both of them. They weren't comfortable looking at each other, so they looked around the room instead, until she said, "Well, I'll prepare us all some dinner before Lihua and Shu get home. They must have had a successful day if they're still gone. Usually, I get home before they do. Oh..." she stopped, then turned to him. "If you're really going to be staying here...I guess you need a place to sleep." She cleared her throat. "I can't have you staying in my room like you did last night." She beckoned him to follow her upstairs. "You can have the guestroom."

She led him to an extra room that he had not noticed before. "I'd have told you about it sooner, but...I didn't feel inclined to talk much during our encounter, if you know what I mean."

He stepped in without a word. The prospect of having his own room, albeit temporarily, was some comfort to him. Still, he wouldn't allow himself to be penetrated with kindness or generosity. His only response was to nod and say, a bit stiffly, "This will do."

Expecting, by now, to receive neither manners nor courtesy from this wolf, Jia simply nodded. "I'll be down in the kitchen in a few minutes." She retreated into her own room to change her attire.

While she was busy, Renshu stepped downstairs into the kitchen, took the coins from his pouch, and placed them on the table. He retreated to his guest room before she came down and found them lying there.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I want to thank those of you that reviewed. Reviews are always appreciated, as well as advice and suggestions. So thank you all, and I'm glad you were able to find at least some joy in reading this so far. :) I hope it hasn't changed with this chapter.

Once again, I want to point out that I'm not entirely familiar with every custom in Chinese culture. For all I know, I could be making a lot of mistakes about some things, but I'm assuming that most people who would come here to read this are no more educated than I am in that department. So, if you would so kindly give me the benefit of the doubt, I'd be much obliged. ^^


	3. In Over Our Heads

III. In Over Our Heads

* * *

><p>Jia never mentioned the coins on the table. She didn't need to. Lihua and Shu had arrived home shortly after Jia and Renshu, which limited certain aspects of conversation between the two of them. But Renshu had caught the look in her eyes as he came and sat down at the table. He couldn't quite pinpoint what emotions were lingering behind them, but he sensed slight hurt and disappointment. Though, once again, not because she had been surprised by his actions. Although any kind of treachery on his part might be expected, it didn't make it any easier for her to deal with. The only bit of comfort came when she had whispered a small "thank you" to him, however hollow it was. He didn't need to ask her what for.<p>

The next day, Jia had actually gone out before sunrise and purchased a much better-looking and more comfortable mask for the wolf to wear. There was only one mask-and-kite shop that was open at that hour, and she didn't bother inquiring as to why someone would need to open such a shop that early in the morning. Apparently, it had attracted at least one customer.

She was pleased to find Renshu already awake when she got home. "I...I have something for you. Well, kind of." She presented the mask to him.

His face contorted in puzzlement. He took the lightweight mask from her and observed it. It was another dragon, but in much better shape than the one Shu had made. The red and gold scales shone even in the dim light of the room. It was quite stunning. "...A better choice, at least," he said, and patted her shoulder. "Well done."  
>Rubbing her shoulder, she fixed him with one of her skeptical stares, and said, "'<em>Well done<em>'? Do my ears deceive me, or did that sound like..._praise_?"

After breaking their fast, and saying goodbye to Lihua and Shu, Jia headed to the marketplace with Renshu. He still felt self-conscious about having to wear a mask, but it was more bearable this time. For one thing, he knew what to expect from being with Jia and her little restaurant, and for another, this new mask was more becoming of him.

"It can't be _that _hard to escape," Jia said at some point during the day as Renshu surreptitiously studied his small dagger.

"Even at night, there are too many people out on the streets," he answered in his usual unhappy tone. "They'd recognize me right away, and I'd be done for."

A moment of silence, then she said, "You could wear the mask. They wouldn't see your face."

He twirled the knife in his hands, sighed, then turned his piercing gaze toward her. "First, I have to find my companions."

She gulped - she had completely forgotten about the others he had mentioned. "You mean Zhong and...what was the other's name? Bolin?"

"That's right. I can't leave without them."

She became silent again, thinking the situation over. Her movements had slowed as a result of her heavy thinking, and she neglected to meet her quota of prepared noodles and vegetables. Customers came and went, and most of them still seemed rather entertained by the sight of Renshu in his new mask.

'I can't believe I'm just sitting here in this mask and they _still _find me funny,' he thought.

Only when the villagers had left and it became slow did Jia venture to talk with him about his predicament - which, in a way, was equally hers. "Renshu...how do you plan to go about finding them? What if they really _are _in Gongmen Jail?"

He had considered this possibility, of course. "I can't just _leave _them there." He stood up and took several steps toward her. "If you knew anything about wolves, you'd know that we stick together as much as possible." He stared down at her face.

"...Ok...I was just saying..." she faltered, becoming increasingly uncomfortable under his stern gaze. "I was only reminding you that it was a...a possibility."

He turned away slowly, and she let out a quiet breath.

She immediately turned around to focus back on her usual tasks. But after a minute, and another slight sigh, she said, "Do you need, or want, my help...in any way?"

He caught the slight tremble in her voice. "I don't even know what I'm going to do yet..."

They spoke very little to each other as the day progressed. He still had a difficult time just sitting on the stool fiddling with his dagger, or staring at the sights all around him, or listening to Jia talk with customers in that voice of hers that - had he been brave enough even to admit it to _himself_ - he found quite charming. Soothing, even. He wasn't used to soft voices...wasn't used to _kindness_. He didn't know what to make of this sheep that he had become acquainted with, albeit unwittingly. He had been shown so little compassion in his life, that he didn't know how to respond to it when it was given to him. His ears found themselves in a different world...so used were they to the harsh, belligerent voices of commanders and generals, that sometimes he could still hear their orders and battle cries ringing in his ears.

When the stillness was beginning to get to him, he stood up and walked over to Jia. She looked up at him.

"Can you...busy me in any way?" He said it as neutrally as possible, wanting to make his request seem casual.

She blinked, clearly not understanding what he meant. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can't stand sitting in that dratted stool a second longer." He huffed and folded his arms, almost wishing he hadn't brought himself into this uncharacteristic situation. But he couldn't turn back now. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"...Why, yes...there is. You can boil some water for me - I need to start my next batch of rice." Still in somewhat of a daze from his offer, she showed him where the cookware was and helped him to get started.

He did feel a little better having something to do. If his mind was going to wander anyway, it might as well do so while his hands weren't kept idle. The mask made it a bit tricky for him to see what he was doing, but not to the point where he couldn't manage. As he set the fire and the water to simmer, Jia had stepped away to talk to a customer, who was also a friend of hers. The sound of their voices vaguely reached his ears. He bent down to retrieve a small satchel of rice, but when he stood up, the end of his mask struck the pan handle and spilled the pot of boiling water all over the place. Some of it landed on his outstretched hand, and he nearly howled.

That would have given him away, but just as quickly, he pressed a hand to his mouth and waved the other frantically.

Jia heard the clatter and saw what had happened. "_Oh no_..." She left her friend and rushed over to him. "Renshu? What happened?"

He was panting now. He showed her his scalded hand.

She gave a small cry and covered her mouth. "_Oh_- here!" She rushed over to her kitchen and drew out a small box with bandages in it. Coming over to Renshu, she held out her hoof to him. He growled in pain and humiliation, but slowly conceded once he saw the concerned look in her eyes. She lightly touched a hoof to the burned area on his paw. He winced; she was spreading some kind of medicine on it. Whatever it was, it noticeably lessened the pain. When she was done spreading the substance over his paw, she carefully wrapped a cloth bandage around it.

"There," she said, taking the little jar of medicine and extra cloth. "It wasn't so bad. It will heal just fine."

The wolf couldn't find it in himself to say anything. She sensed his hesitation, and said, "If you don't want to do anything, you can relax and I'll do the rest -"

"No. I'm fine." He stood up. "I can still lend a hand." He strode past her, but stopped and turned his head ever so slightly. "...Thanks..." he said almost too quietly for her to hear.

But she did hear, and was taken by surprise for probably the fifth time that day.

The sun sank lower into the sky, and already the shadows were lengthening on the streets.

Jia looked up at the clouds, relieved that the temperature had lowered to a comfortable level.

Renshu had actually helped her with her work throughout the rest of the day. It wasn't as if he felt that he owed her something (though in truth, he did, but he wouldn't have admitted it), but busying himself with little tasks put his aggravated mind at ease. It may not have been his first choice for a distraction, but it worked nonetheless. Jia, he had to admit, was good company. Maybe it was the fact that he had spent two days with her during her hours of operation, maybe it was being in close proximity to her and getting to know her bit by bit, maybe it was the mask...but he no longer felt very certain of his role to her as the oppressor. Although it had only been two days, things seemed to have changed in some way from the way they _had _been, the night he forced her to lead him to her house. He had truly been an oppressor then, that was without a doubt. Now he thought of it, he wondered why - and how - he had let things get to this point, where he was helping a sheep with her cooking, wearing a dragon mask, and even going so far as talking with her. The strangest revelation of all was that it didn't seem to bother him much.

Sometimes he would think about Zhong and Bolin, and a little stab of guilt would pierce his hardened heart. He knew he had to go and search for them so that they could all escape from this city. But he also knew that he would most likely only have one chance to do it right _without_ getting caught, and that chance couldn't be wasted without a decent plan. The first thing he knew he needed to do was to locate them. Hopefully they were in the same place, otherwise he'd really be in for a wild goose chase.

This time, when Jia had finished loading all of her cookware and supplies into the cart, he took the handles without a word.

She stared after him, eyes wide with wonderment. But then she shook her head and remembered that Renshu was always itching to get home. She quietly followed after him.

* * *

><p>The next day was just like the last. Or at least, it would have been, had it not been for once incident that nearly proved disastrous.<p>

The citizens of Gongmen City had woken up to a dark, cloudy sky. Though most of them toiled about their daily habits as usual, it proved ill news for those like Jia who had businesses that required them to be outside all day.

She was looking up at the sky from her window, studying the weather. She was in the kitchen, and Renshu had stepped up beside her. He looked at the sky, too. "Do we get to stay home because of the weather?" he joked, baring his fangs in an unsavory smile.

She sighed. "No. I can't afford to miss a day of business. If it rains, we won't get many customers, but...maybe it won't rain." She didn't believe her own positivity, however, and he noted her doubtful tone.

He leaned against the wall, still staring vacantly up at the gray sky. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped - then gave in, and asked, "Exactly how important is it that you show up with your culinary caravan?"

She glanced at him, then turned away. She said, "Between the three of us, Lihua, Shu, and I...we make just enough to get by." A pause. "If I miss a day of work, well...it might not doom us to starvation...but...every day counts."

He raised his eyes, then patted her on the shoulder, as he was sometimes fond of doing. "Well, it's your call, kiddo."

She stared at him, unamused.

"Sorry," he grinned, showing off those white teeth. "_Jia_."

Of course, they did end up carting the supplies into the city near the marketplace. The streets were no more crowded nor empty than usual, but some people carried umbrellas with them in anticipation of a possible rainstorm. Renshu felt a little better wearing the mask today, for the weather was cool and refreshing, and even seemed to chill his temper. Jia did get a healthy dose of business - especially for her hot soup, which always became popular on cooler days - and was rather glad that she chose to be there that day, weather aside. Everything had gone on as usual, until toward the middle of the day, the sky turned a shade darker and the clouds began to churn.

Some people in the streets were looking up. Others seemed to take no notice. But Jia did. She was silent as she studied the weather, and said to Renshu, "I think it's going to rain..."

A low rumble of thunder sounding overhead confirmed her suspicion. Renshu was unphased, but looked to her and asked, "Still thinking about staying here?"

"Perhaps not." The day was already halfway through, and her earnings hadn't been any less than usual. In fact, to her pleasant surprise, she had made a little _more _than usual. "I suppose it would be best if we called it a day..."

As the two of them closed up shop, a sudden heavy downpour started out of nowhere, as was very much the fashion of tropical rainstorms. Jia and Renshu toiled in spite of the rain. They were already completely drenched, but just then the wind started kicking up at a frightening speed.

That's when it happened. Renshu was lifting a wooden crate into the cart, when his mask began to shake violently and then, without warning, had flown off his face altogether, lost to the wind like some colorful bird having escaped from a cage. His eyes grew wide, and so did Jia's. They looked around, and to their horror, a goose standing nearby had gotten one good look at the wolf and shrieked. Someone else nearby shouted, "_Look_!" pointing at Renshu.

Jia wasted no time. Before the situation could get any worse, she grabbed his paw, shouted, "_Quick_!" and ran, leading him back to her house.

The cart and all of its supplies sat in the rain, sodden and forgotten.

* * *

><p>Once the two of them were inside, Jia shut the door behind her, panting and sinking to the floor. Renshu was panting as well, and shook himself of the rain. Hundreds of tiny water drops flew off his fur in a fine mist. Then he shut his eyes tight and covered his muzzle.<p>

She opened her eyes and regarded him warily. "...Renshu..." she said softly, "it's ok."

"'Ok,'" he repeated, barely containing his anger. "_How_ is this in _any_ way ok?"

She felt utterly despaired. "Not that many people saw you," she said, still trying to calm him down. "And I'm sure no one saw us come in. They don't know where you are."

"But they know I'm in the _city_!"

She took several more deep breaths, still exhausted from her sprint home. "Look...I know it looks bad, but..." she trailed off, unsure of the right words to say.

He was relentless, though. "It looks bad because it _is_ bad!" He growled and turned away, pacing around the room. He said, more to himself than to her, "They know I'm here, now. The guards'll be after me, they'll be searching the entire city for me. I'll be caught, taken to jail, and I'll _never_ get out again - I hope they don't make me share a cell with Zhong -"

"_Renshu_," Jia cut in flatly.

He looked at her with his red eyes.

"Do you want my help?" she asked slowly, giving him her full attention. She stood up and walked a little closer to him, pleading with her eyes for him to listen. "Do you want my help?" she repeated. "I'm willing to give it to you, but I can't help you unless you want it. We'll think of something, ok? There's a way out of this."

"How do you know?" he growled.

"I just do...there _has _to be. You can't give up now..." she trailed off once again, feeling suddenly strange about trying to comfort him. Shouldn't she have been glad that he was spotted? Didn't that mean that he might be found and taken out of her life for good?

But she possessed a compassionate heart. Renshu wasn't her favorite person on earth, but since getting to know him a little better and spending some time with him, she came to understand that he, in truth, was no different from anyone else. He needed help like everyone else, had faults like everyone else, and above all, probably needed a little compassion more than anything. Not that she was overly thrilled that she seemed to be the one who had to give it to him. But she was in as sticky a situation as he was, and knew that there probably was no getting out of it anytime soon. He no longer seemed as intimidating as she had initially believed. Rather than the frightening warrior she had encountered in the moonlit courtyard, he now seemed more like a lost and wounded pup.

He looked at her now with deep-set confusion. "Why are you helping me?"

"I...I wasn't aware that I was, yet...I just offered..."

"You led me back here when you could have easily abandoned me to my fate." He was probing her now, trying to fish out any excuse, any reason that she had helped him out of some selfish whim, rather than out of genuine concern.

She stared at the floor. "I don't know...I just..." she fumbled for the right words. "It just seemed like you could use some help from someone...even if that someone is me."

He snorted. "You're sure this has nothing to do with the amount of business I bring you each day?"

In spite of herself, she almost laughed. "You can't be serious!" she said. "Haven't I been saying this whole time that I would try and help you escape if I could?"

He couldn't come up with an answer, so remained silent.

She stood there for a minute, before becoming aware of her sodden coat, and saying, "I'll...I'll get you something to dry yourself off with." She headed upstairs and appeared a moment later with some blankets. She handed them to him. As she saw him rubbing the cloth over his fur, another question popped into her mind. "Um...Renshu...is...are those the only clothes you have?" she said it in such a small, timid voice that he almost didn't hear her.

"Yes," was all he said.

She rubbed her arm. "I'm afraid we don't have anything here that would be suitable for you to wear."

"It's no big deal. I've suffered a lot worse than having to wear wet clothes."

She nodded, but still didn't feel very comfortable with the thought of him being stuck with one outfit, especially if that outfit was wet. "If you like, I can dry it for you. Anything's better than having to wear wet clothing." When he regarded her, she said, "You don't have to take it off now, my goodness. I meant that you can leave it outside of your room, and I will return it to you, dried."

He peeled a bit of the clothing from his fur. It made an unpleasant suctioning noise - that was all the prompting he needed. "Very well," he said.

She nodded briefly. "I'll be down in a short while." She went upstairs, her hooves making a light sound on the wood.

He knew she had gone up to change out of her wet clothing. His ear twitched nervously as he tried to get the visual out of his mind, of that damp, white, beautiful fur glowing softly in the light of the fire. He put his hands on his head and shook himself, then headed up to his guest room. He peeled off his own clothing, very glad to get it off his fur, and did as she suggested - he hung it right outside the door. He sat down on the little bed, feeling strange. Of course he started up a small fire in the room, so as to get his fur a little drier. But he stayed that way for a long time, stroking his arms, staring at the fire for minutes on end, utterly lost in his thoughts. Now and then he heard small shuffling in the room next to him. He thought of the past days' events, pondering all that he had been through, all that he head heard. He didn't realize it at the time, but it was in the quiet of this room that something began forming inside of him that would shake him to the core, come the day he realized just what it was.

He wasn't aware of how much time had passed, but eventually he heard a small noise coming from just outside the door. He opened it slowly and looked around, and saw his clothing right where he had left it. He took it inside; it was dry. And, as wolves are wont to do, he lightly sniffed at it, catching the vague scent of cherry blossoms, almost imperceptible. It wasn't his scent - it was hers.

As he dressed himself, he left the room and headed down to the kitchen. The rain hadn't stopped. There was a small fire lit, and it cast an eerily pleasant glow along the floor and walls. ('Jia must have come down and started it,' he thought.) He knew it still couldn't have been late enough for Lihua and Shu to return home yet. Not having anything else to do at the moment, he sat down at the table. A short while later, Jia came down.

She cleared her throat, a little uneasily. "Would you like some tea?" she offered.

He didn't look at her. "No...thanks..."

She began heating some water and took a small porcelain cup out of the cupboard. Somehow, the sound of her shuffling through the kitchen as she prepared her tea was soothing to the wolf. The fire, the sound of the rain outside, the soft orange glow flickering throughout the room, the sheep that stood there daintily stirring her tea...it created possibly the most calming environment he had ever been in. And still he wasn't sure how to handle it. He wondered if he should even be in the same room as these things - as these joys and comforts that had been strangers to him his entire life. He doubted that he even had a right to experience them...for if they had never come to him before, why should they start now?

He stood up.

"...Where are you going?" she asked. She had taken a seat at the table as well.

"To the guest room."

"...Are you feeling ok?"

He stared into those eyes - eyes that were so huge and shone with so much care. He tried not to sneer. "Not really." He headed toward the stairs.

But she ventured to ask, "Are...are you sure you don't want something hot to drink? It might make you feel better."

He sighed, his back turned to her, and rubbed his muzzle. "Yeah, ok." Whatever had pulled him back to her, he felt a little better when she had served him some of the hot liquid. He was never much of a tea-drinker, but she was right - it did make him feel better. Although his discomfort wasn't a result of any physical illness.

The rain poured on outside. It had become much darker. Jia and Renshu sat at table, sipping their tea quietly. Neither said a word for what seemed like a long time, but neither did they seem to mind much. Each was lost in their own thoughts.

Eventually, she dared to bring up the subject of his escape plan. "You know, Renshu," she began quietly, "we still need to figure out what you're going to do."

Strangely, he found this new topic of conversation as a relief. He didn't even sound annoyed when he answered, "The first thing I need to do is find Zhong and Bolin. I have a feeling they've been taken to Gongmen Jail. That's the first place I'll look."

"When?"

He thought for a while, gazing at the tea in his cup. "When I'm sure that I can set foot out of this house without being under heavy alert."

She nodded knowingly. "That's a sound idea." She sipped her tea. "Is there...anything I can do to help?"  
>He almost chuckled. "Yeah. You can get me a new mask."<p>

* * *

><p>When Lihua and Shu came home that night, Jia and Renshu had a much clearer idea of how fast news had spread of Renshu's blunder with the mask flying away and his identity being revealed.<p>

Lihua had a small bag of food supplies in her arms, and set it down. "You will not believe the rumors that have been circulating around the city today."

"Everyone's saying that a wolf appeared in the city near the marketplace," Shu cut in, hopping into a chair. "You two wouldn't happen to _know_ anything about this, would you?" She leaned her head in her hooves - her usual impish manner, though there was no malice in her voice.

Jia, of course, told them about what had happened. Lihua, in her typical manner, jumped to the very worst-case scenario. "Do you realize that they'll probably be searching everyone's house for this wolf?"

Jia winced. She had thought of it, but wasn't at all sure what to do if it came to that. "I realize that, Lihua."

"...And? What are you planning to do?"

"I don't know yet."

As if the situation wasn't difficult enough, Lihua took it in turn to announce that she doesn't want her or her sisters put in danger if the guards discovered a wolf in their house. "They would take it as treachery on our part. We'd have to stand trial and prove that we're innocent, and that's _if_ they believed us, which -"

"Lihua, please! You're hurting my head!" Jia leaned down on the table, feeling too defeated at the moment to raise any further argument.

Lihua took a deep breath. "These are all valid points I've brought up, Jia. I'm worried."

"So am I! But...just give me a little time to work this out. I don't want to put Renshu in danger," Lihua raised her eyes, "if it can be helped."

Lihua gently cleared her throat. "Jia...may I speak to you in private for a minute?"

Blinking nervously, Jia stood up and followed her sister out of the room.

"Jia," she said again, "is there something going on that you're not telling me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean with this wolf. Why do you want to help him? Didn't he threaten you about three or four times by now? And didn't he practically break into our house, forcing us to take him in as if he were an invited _house_ guest?"

"I'm aware of what happened, Lihua. I was there, remember?" She sighed. "I just don't want to condemn him any more than he's already been condemned. It seems wrong to do so, even if he _is_ dangerous."

"You're getting in way over your head, Jia." Lihua was silent, looking vastly disappointed in her sister. "It's not our job to reform this wolf."

"I never said it was. The fact is, he's here, and we don't know how long he's _going_ to be here. But that doesn't mean that we have to treat him badly. Heaven knows I've been as kind to him as I could these past days, and it might not look like it's been doing a lot of good, but I can't find it in me be his punisher."

They argued back and forth like this for a while before finally giving it a rest. Everyone's mood seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. Though it was dinnertime, no one felt like eating; not even Shu.

As the evening drew on and night finally cloaked the world in darkness, everyone retreated to their rooms. Before Jia left for hers, she lightly touched Renshu's arm and said, "It will be ok, Renshu...We'll think of something." Then she headed up to her room and closed the door.

He did likewise. As he lied in bed, in the darkness of the room, he could hear the pitter-patter of the rain on the rooftop. The sound was comforting to him. Once again, he couldn't help but think what an odd situation he was in. He thought about how several weeks ago, he was camping out in the middle of nowhere, and now he found himself a temporary guest in some sheep's house. If things had turned out differently - if he had gone with Tao, or if those caravans hadn't shown up - he might still be sleeping out there, under a stormy sky with little to no comfort whatsoever. Not that there was much comfort to be had even now, with so many new worries added to his plate.

The sound of the rain was like a kind of lullaby for him. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep.

And had a strange dream.

He dreamed that he was back in his homeland with Tao and the others. Only it didn't look at all like how he remembered it. In fact, it looked a lot like Gongmen City, with the same buildings, the same shops, the same citizens. And there were wolves, too. A _lot_ of wolves - as many as there were on the day of the city's occupation. He saw Zhong and Bolin in the dream, running their own rice stand. He walked up to them, requesting a bowl of rice, but they told him they were out. Immediately afterword, they handed some to a customer. Renshu left, and the next thing he knew, he was fighting some battle alongside Tao. Not only that, but their Wolf Boss was there as well. 'What are you talking about? I'm not dead. I was just pretending,' he said when questioned by Renshu about his fate. Then out of nowhere, it seemed as if everyone had disappeared, and that Renshu was the only one left in the city. There was a rickshaw nearby, and he thought to use this to leave the city as well. It traveled across the land faster than any speed he had ever traveled at before. Valleys and meadows and mountains and forests raced past him, so that everything looked like one colorful blur. When he stopped, he was in unfamiliar territory. He sought out to explore this new place, but the scene changed once again, and he was in a dark room. Jia was there. Her coat was gone, her fur slightly wet, and he had taken a small blanket and gently dabbed her face, her neck, her shoulders. Her large eyes were closed in a peaceful manner. There was a fire in the room, and it set everything aglow with little quivering shadows. He leaned down toward her face...

...And woke up, feeling panicked. He put a hand to his forehead and took a deep breath.

He got out of bed and raced to the door, but stopped. He wanted to get some fresh air, but in his frenzied state had nearly forgotten about the danger he was still in, of being exposed to the outside world. He went to lie back down, shutting his eyes tightly and clenching the blanket with his fist.

He lay there disturbed for the rest of the night.


	4. A Disturbance In the Water

IV. A Disturbance In the Water

Renshu felt as if he were in a weakened state when he woke up the next morning. As he got himself ready to face the day, his movements seemed dragged out, as if he were exerting himself. He couldn't understand it at first, but he had a gut feeling that it had something to do with what he had seen in his dream last night. It wasn't even so much the vision of his homeland, or of Tao, or even of the Wolf Boss that vexed him. It was something else, and he was far from comfortable admitting it to himself. He fastened his shoulder-strap on, adjusted it, and proceeded toward the door. Taking a deep breath, he opened it and went downstairs.

As he expected, Jia was already there preparing breakfast. He stared at her as she went about her preparations. He took a seat at the table. As she heard the light scrape of the chair against the floor, she turned and gave a slight smile. "Good morning, Renshu."

"Hardly," he murmured. Then cleared his throat and said, "Listen. I have a plan to go to Gongmen Jail to see if my friends are there. If the guards know I'm here, then I have to leave the city as soon as possible, risks aside."

"Hmm." She set down a few cups at the table. "What's your plan?"

"I'll travel there by night to see if they're there."

"Well..." her eyes widened and she placed her hooves to her hips, "that _does_seem a bit risky. Don't you think that plan is a little...careless?"

He frowned. "There's no other way to do it. I have no resources at my dispense, no one to help me, and nothing to lose but my freedom." He understood, of course, the irony of that statement. Ever since he had arrived back at Gongmen City, his lifestyle had been anything but free.

"But you _do_have someone to help you," she said.

"I know..." he mumbled. "No offense, missy, but what could you possibly do to help me?"

"Well you have..." she looked down, clasping her hooves and looking uneasy, "you have me on your side. It may not be much, but it has to count for something, doesn't it?"

He looked skeptical, but said nothing. Only gazed at her with a mixture of gratitude and doubt. The astute little sheep said, "I may not be a warrior, but you don't have to be a great warrior to be useful...surely even you must know this."

"Right. Well, if that's the case, maybe I could use you tonight..." He stood up.

She looked flustered once again. "Tonight? You don't mean you're really going through with it, are you?"

"I meant exactly what I said," he growled.

"But..." she stumbled over her words, trying to think of something - anything - that might get him to listen to reason. "Renshu, I beg of you, _please_ don't go through with this." She walked over to him and laid a gentle hoof on his arm. "I'm not saying that you should leave them there - if they _are_there. I only mean that you should devise a better plan." She thought for a moment, then, "What if I went to Gongmen Jail myself? I could see if they were there without the risk of being captured. After all, I'm not the vigilante."

The wolf sighed and rubbed his neck. "It's a good idea, but now _you_ tell _me_: are you going to stroll in there asking the guards if some of your wolf friends had been taken prisoner?"

She glanced down. "No...in fact, I do have an idea. But it will require your trust."

He folded his arms. "How do I know you're not going to betray me?"

"Well, like I said, you'll kinda have to trust me. You can do that, or you can go yourself and almost _certainly_be caught."

He fixed her with his red eyes, staring her down for what seemed like a long time, before finally saying, "What's your plan?"

"I can go to the prison and see if your friends are there - but in _secret_. None of the guards will know I was ever there."

He shook his head. "Now you _are_trying to be a warrior, aren't you?"

"I'm trying to _help_you."

He let out a harsh breath. "You know what, fine. Go over there and see what you can do. If the worst comes to worst, better _you_ ending up in there than _me_." He almost regretted saying those words, but still refused to acknowledge Jia's doleful eyes and hurt expression.

If it weren't for the fact that she would be rid of this wolf once and for all, she would have withdrawn her services right then and there - and even told him such, in no uncertain terms.

"You realize that even if your friends are there, I won't be able to get them out of prison, right?"

"You'd be saving me two visits, anyway." He stood up and dared to put a paw on her shoulder. "Listen, kidd - Jia. I'm grateful for your help. Just be sure not to get yourself in trouble, alright?"

She let out a shallow breath. "I'll do my best."

* * *

><p>Jia had decided to assist her canine acquaintance that very night. Seeing as how she wasn't a criminal, she didn't need to change her guise or cover her face. This, she said, was the advantage of having her going out to scout the prison instead of him. One slip-up on his part would mean imprisonment for life. Even if she wasn't a martial artist, or even a very skilled fighter, it was still safer for her to venture out than him. And as she was by herself, walking the streets of the city alone, she inwardly begin to doubt the choices she'd made. Criminal or not, it was never a good thing to be caught skulking outside of a prison; it looked suspicious, even for someone as innocent-looking as her.<p>

Her small hooves made little tapping sounds on the streets as she passed house after house. Many windows were glowing softly from the inside with candlelight. Sometimes, the brief silhouette of a family could be seen from the streets, and she felt a little stab of wistfulness prick her heart. Though it hadn't been that long, she recalled the days when her and her sisters were more-or-less carefree - when they didn't have to worry about being at the mercy of an antagonistic wolf. She missed those days, and hoped that they would be back soon enough. Maybe, if everything worked out according to plan, her nightly endeavor would prove successful and get Renshu well on his way to leaving the city and the province altogether.

It seemed to her that a long while passed before she finally made it to the familiar area where the jail resided.

In the dark, she observed it, and slightly narrowed her eyes.

She remembered when Gongmen Prison had been a kung fu academy, and how it had changed when Lord Shen was ruling over the city. He had turned it into a prison, and for some reason, the new rulers never went back. Jia never understood why they didn't revert it back to the academy-slash-medicine shop that it once was. Her best guess was that the latest incident with Lord Shen had influenced their opinions, that somehow they felt safer (or would make the people feel safer) by keeping a prison in the city should any outlaw wander in and cause a disturbance.

Her pace slowed as she neared the now ominous-looking structure. It sat dark and glinting in the light of the moon; this was the closest she had ever been to it. Never in her life did she think she would have to be within five hundred feet of this place, and never did she want to. But, she reflected, life never really goes according to plan. Swallowing her anxiety, she stepped over to the closest wall and hoisted herself up. She took a breath and looked around. It didn't appear as if anyone noticed her, so she continued.

Truth be told, she didn't have an amazing plan as far as what she was going to do in order to find out who was in the prison. Gongmen City's inhabitants were, more or less, peaceful people, and as such, there never seemed to be a dire need for a jail of sorts. It should certainly make her job easier. But now she was focused on her next task, which was – hopefully – to find a window. If she could peek in without having to go through the trouble of actually sneaking into the jail (an idea she did not want to entertain in the least), she could be done and over with this task in no time.

Going slowly, she walked along the stone wall in search for a window, for any opening at all, through which she might be able to get a good view. As luck would have it, there was one small window situated on the opposite side of the structure, and she made her way toward it. She took yet another deep breath, crouched down, and tried to peer inside.

She saw a large, circular room with a few trappings, some furniture, and several empty cells. Not much more was inside – no guards, no prisoners, no nothing. This puzzled her, and for a minute she just sat there. It didn't look at all how she imagined Gongmen Jail to look, especially after the city was no longer under occupation. Now the kung fu masters were back at large and the palace was under their stewardship, she had always imagined that the jail would either be converted back to an academy or at least that it would be under some kind of administration...put to use _somehow_.

'I don't understand...' she said in a barely audible whisper. Whatever the case, it was clear that no one resided in this place and that Zhong and Bolin had somehow evaded capture, like Renshu. She shook her head and stood up.

There was nothing else she could do but make the long trek back home.

When she arrived, Renshu was pacing the room, looking rather impatient. As soon as she stepped in, he bombarded her with questions. "Well, what did you find? Were Zhong and Bolin there?"

Her face fell and she glanced at the floor. "No, they weren't." She forced herself to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry, Renshu. I climbed a wall and found a window to look through, and I did, but I didn't see anyone in there at all – not even the guards were there. There was nothing else I could do but come back."

He sighed, trying to keep his temper in check. "Well, are the guards out there still looking for me?"

She shook her head no. "I didn't see any guards out tonight. Maybe...maybe the rumors died down. Maybe there weren't enough witnesses to put the city on alert."

"_Maybe_. But maybe there _were_."

"I'll bet the guardians didn't believe them when they said they saw a wolf. It might have started a panic for a little while, but the streets were dead silent when I was out just now. Not a guard in sight."

He folded his arms and turned his eyes away from her. "I don't trust any of this."

She shrugged. "It could be worse. At least they haven't been searching everyone's house. This city is too big for them to do that anyway."

Lihua came into the room, looking not at all pleased. "So you're back," she said calmly. "You went through with it, didn't you?"

"Yes," Jia said.

"Well? What did you discover?"

"Renshu's friends aren't there. And there are no guards or patrols out in the streets."

Lihua sighed. Jia was surprised to note that she actually looked to be on the verge of tears. "Are you through helping this wolf yet, Jia?" Her voice quivered.

Jia wasn't at all sure how to answer that. Of course she wanted to help Renshu, for certain reasons, but it didn't appear that she did much to help him that night. She found out where Zhong and Bolin _weren't_, but not where they _were_.

"I...I don't know, Lihua."

Lihua stared at her younger sister for a moment, before giving a curt nod and retreating upstairs.

Jia sighed. She hated worrying her sister, and wished that the whole situation could just mend itself.

She felt a slight pat on her back. "Alright, kidd – Jia. I ought to thank you for what you did, but we haven't achieved much."

"I know..."

They seemed at a loss, both for words and for what to do next.

"Do you really need to find them before you leave? For all we know, _they_ could be hiding in someone else's house, too."

"Don't think I haven't thought of that."

"If they're not in jail, it's a good possibility."

"I know it."

"What are you going to do?"

He faltered. "I can't go searching all the houses in the city to see if someone's hiding a wolf."

"No..."

"Maybe...my only choice _is_ to go on without them. And hope that whatever's happened to them, they'll find a way to escape."

She clasped her hooves together, looking rather sad. Staring at the floor once again, she said, "I'm sorry you couldn't find your friends. I'm sure that whatever happened, they're doing alright."

He gave her a strange look, but nodded nevertheless.

The sound of light, hurried steps told them that Shu was on the way. The small sheep appeared with a smile on her face and sat at the table. "What are we having for dinner, Jia?" she asked, unaware of the crestfallen look on her sisters' face.

"We'll have noodles, steamed vegetables, maybe a little rice..."

Shu faltered upon seeing her sister. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. We're just trying to figure something out."

Before saying another word, Renshu retreated to the guest room. Jia stared after him for a minute, sadness still plastered over her face.

"Well, I may as well start cooking now," she said to no one in particular. "How was business today?"

"We were busy," Shu said, turning a little in her seat. "Lihua sold a lot of nice clothing today. And guess what? Tomorrow, Miss Wen is going to show me how to make a new ornament."

Jia smiled as she took out a sauce pan. "That's good news."

"But I'm curious, Jia...how much longer is the wolf going to be here?"

"...I don't know." She glanced at Shu. "I tried to find out where his friends were...but they weren't where I thought...where _we_ thought they would be."

"And Renshu can't leave without his friends?"

"He doesn't want to."

"But he may have to?"

Jia nodded. She wondered why the situation was discouraging her so much. She knew that technically she was not required to help Renshu, or even get involved in the matter concerning his friends. All that he had ever demanded from them so far was a safe hiding place, which is what he got. The rest shouldn't have mattered to her. She didn't understand why there was any desire in her to help him. Maybe it was compassion born out of pity for his miserable existence. Maybe she really did believe that she could redeem this wolf.

She shook her head. She had to remember what Lihua said. After all, her sisters' advice was correct; it wasn't their job to redeem Renshu of his villainous ways. No matter how much she might want to.

Her mind wandered back to the days she had spent with him in the marketplace. She marveled, silently, at the difference in Renshu from the first day he accompanied her to work, to the last few days. The change in him was subtle...almost imperceptible...but she sensed it very strongly. She still wasn't entirely comfortable around him, but there had been a change in her as well.

"Jia," Lihua's voice snapped the sheep out of her musing. She turned from her cooking. "I've made a decision, and I thought you should know about it."

Jia set down the spoon she held, giving Lihua her full attention.

"I'm going to speak with some of the guardians tonight, to ask them if they know anything about wolves in the city."

Jia tilted her head, not quite understanding what her sister was getting at.

Lihua continued, "We know where _one_ is, but according to your friend," Jia blinked at the word "there are two others that are still missing. I can't take this secrecy much longer, Jia." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't want to make this any more difficult than it already is, believe me...but something has _got_ to be done."

The young sheep was at a loss for words. All she did was stare at her sister, wide-eyed.

Lihua, ever quick to pick up on her sisters' feelings, said, "Jia, we tried. Well..._you_ tried." She walked over to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "It's got to stop sooner or later."

"But what do you intend to do if you find out news about Renshu's friends?"

"Well, I don't have high hopes that the guardians will tell me anything, or even that they found anything out at all. But if they do, and if they're willing to tell me, then I will do my best to see that Renshu is reunited with the others and that he leaves our house once and for all."

"But...don't you think they – the guards – might become suspicious if you start asking them questions?"

Lihua shook her head. "No. They'll see me as an overly-paranoid sheep who's been worrying about wolves for days on end." She laughed.

"Not too far from the truth," Shu said, hopping over to stir the pot of rice.

"But Lihua, I'm afraid. What if we get ourselves in over our heads?"

"Consider it done," she scoffed. "We've been in over our heads ever since that wolf first set foot in this house!"

Jia lowered her head. "I know...but I still want to help him without getting us three in trouble, too."

Lihua sighed. "So do I...but that might be difficult. By all rights, we never should have agreed to hide Renshu in the first place."

Jia raised her head. "Do you think if we get caught, we'll be tried for treason?"

"Why? It's not our fault the wolf came in and threatened us. I'm sure if it did come to that, the guardians would believe our side of the story...which happens to be true, in case you've forgotten."

"I haven't forgotten."

Footsteps alerted them to the wolf's entrance.

He stared at each one of them in turn. "Have you three nanny goats tired of my presence, yet?"

Lihua glanced at Jia, who glanced at the floor. Shu looked away from the rice and, as was ever her custom, attempted to lighten the mood that had taken over the room.

"Would you like some rice, Renshu?" she beamed, half-jokingly.

"Yes. Of course I would." He walked past the two older sheep and sat at table.

"It's almost done. We're having vegetables, too. Hope you're hungry," she said over the confection that was bubbling in the kitchen.

"Vegetables..." he grumbled, leaning his head in his paw. He wasn't the biggest fan of vegetables. When he was a pup, his mom had always tried getting him to eat the five basic food groups. She succeeded with all but greens. By now, the three sisters were very familiar with Renshus' dislike for vegetables, but he wasn't as picky as he used to be. Years of hardship had forced him to be less picky and more grateful for any and all food he could get, whether there was a shortage or not.

When the other two also sat down by the table, Renshu fixed them with a knowing gaze. "I know what you two are planning to do." He looked at Lihua. "Well, what _you_ said you're going to do. And I'm going to tell you, I don't care. If they want to run me out of this city, all the better for me. I've spent too much time here as it is."

Shu came over and set a bowl of rice down in front of him.

"Thanks for leaving me to do the cooking, Jia," she teased.

Renshu picked up the chopsticks. He looked up at Jia this time, staring at her for far longer than she was comfortable with. "I guess I ought to thank you for helping me before I leave."

"Helping you...you mean -"

"Not about finding my friends. You didn't do that. I mean for letting me stay in your house." He gave a small laugh. "It's been a while since I've been able to stay in a nice room. If it weren't for Zhong and Bolin, I'd be tempted to stay. It's a joke," he added upon seeing their faces.

Jia looked at the rice her sister had set down for her. "You don't have to thank me...I mean...you did force us to take you in."

"Can't argue that." He looked up. "But...it would have been easy to get rid of me. You had your chance when I was spotted by the townspeople."

"...Maybe."

He narrowed his eyes and set down his chopsticks, as if an important question had just occurred to him. "Why didn't you?"

"...I...I'm not sure."

"You sure?"

"...No."

"Then _why_?"

"Because I wanted to help you," she said, meeting his gaze this time. "It just felt like the right thing to do."

He snorted and directed his attention back to the rice. "Do you always do the right thing?"

She shrugged. "I try to."

Shu came to sit with them, as everyone now had their serving of rice and vegetables. "Why don't you try it sometime, Renshu? It might improve your luck."

"Choices...have never been much of a luxury in my life." He said, almost under his breath.

Shu looked at him curiously. "Why not?"

"Don't ask. It's a long story. Point is, I always take orders from my boss."

"Where is your boss now?"

"I don't know. I...never found out." He paused, unsure whether or not to go on, then decided it would do no harm. "The wolf in charge during this city's occupation was never found by any of us, so the next best warrior took charge."

"And why aren't you with _him_?" Jia asked.

"Because," he clenched a fist, "he wanted to go back to our homeland."

The three sisters exchanged glances. "And that's...bad?" Jia asked.

"It's _terrible_! We wolves were subjugated there! That is to say, our ancestors were. And our luck there isn't bound to improve anytime soon."

Jia shook her head, delicate ears bobbing with the motion. "That has to be a long story."

"It is."

"I still don't understand what you were planning on doing without your people, though."

He became slightly uncomfortable. "Neither did I...and I still don't." He paused. "But not knowing what's in store for me is better than going back _there_."

"Is it really?"

"It is to me."

Evening carried on, and still no one seemed to be aware that they had lost track of time. Until a splitting yawn from Shu told them it was getting late.

"My goodness, where did the time go?" Lihua exclaimed. "We all should have been asleep long ago."

After everything was cleared up, the three sisters said their goodnights and retreated to their rooms. As usual, Renshu lingered and Jia was the last remaining.

As she headed up the stairs, she glanced back at him. "Aren't you tired?"

He rubbed his muzzle. "Well..."

"I hope you'll go to sleep soon. Tomorrow looks to be a very big day."

"Can I assume you're taking me to work tomorrow?"

She paused in mid-step. "Well, to be honest...I'm not sure of that, either." She looked at him. "With all of the commotion that's been going on lately, do you think it's safe?"

"I don't see that it could get any worse than it's already been."

"You could be spotted again, and seen by more people. That would be worse, wouldn't it?"

"I'd have an excuse to get out of this city as fast as I could."

She glanced down. "If...if you think it would be ok...then I wouldn't mind you coming with me tomorrow."

He stood up and walked over to her. "No, I wouldn't mind. But don't go spreading it around. It's bad enough I have to wear a mask – I don't want people thinking I've succumbed to the whims of a sheep. And a female at that."

"You know that would be impossible," she said, trying to ignore his proximity to her, not to mention those sharp teeth. "Who would I tell but my sisters?"

"It was a joke. Don't take things so seriously, kiddo."

She didn't correct the nickname this time.

An awkward moment passed, and then he raised a paw to her face. Her eyes widened as he gently stroked her ear, then her face, with a tenderness she wouldn't have believed he possessed.

Her heartbeat quickened, and for a moment she didn't know what to do. Then, "I...I have to go." She turned away and dashed for her room.

Renshu wasn't offended. In fact he allowed himself a small laugh at her expense. Sheep were so easy to intimidate – that is, if you were a wolf. Maybe it was easier because she was female.

He looked down at the paw that had caressed her. He traced it lightly, still feeling her soft fur against his own. He inhaled and once again caught her faint scent. Closing his eyes for a moment, he imagined what it might be like to...

'No, _hold_ it, Renshu. Get a grip on yourself,' he scolded. Shaking his head, he decided that now would be a good time to catch up on some sleep – if sleep would come to him.

And, as had been the case for many a night, sleep didn't come easy. He found it hard to stop thinking about Jia.

'What's going on?' he thought, lying in the silence of his room, 'Why can't I get that girl out of my head?'

He squinted his eyes and covered his face with a pillow. Almost not wanting to sleep now, for fear of what he might see in his dreams, he forced himself to think, instead, of how he might go about finding Zhong and Bolin. Perhaps Jia would come up with one of her bright ideas and offer some suggestions, come work day tomorrow.

At the thought of her name, he relaxed and finally drifted off to sleep. But not before picturing her face in his mind, one last time.

* * *

><p>Lihua was the first to wake up the next day. She patiently waited for Shu and Jia before she headed out to accomplish her tasks.<p>

"Shu, what time is Miss Wen expecting you?"

"In about thirty minutes."

"Alright. I'll see you here when I get home today."

"Are you going to the guardians?" Jia asked.

"Yes," Lihua nodded. "I'm sorry, Jia, but I think it's the right thing to do."

She nodded resignedly.

"Are you taking Renshu with you today?"

"I don't know."

"Well, this is one confusing mess. Whatever happens, I hope you won't get into trouble."

"I won't."

Lihua, for once, didn't guess the reason behind her sisters' melancholy demeanor. She had assumed that Jia was worried about Renshu and whether or not it would be safe to take him out in public again. They were all certain that rumors of his sighting had died down by now, but they felt they couldn't be too safe in this case.

All of this did contribute to Jia's mood, of course. But it was now secondary to what had been plaguing her mind, ever since...

"Be good, Shu. Make Miss Wen very proud!"

"I will. Bye!"

"Bye, Jia. I hope everything goes well today – for both of us."

"Me too, sis. Have a good day, ok?"

When her sisters had gone, Jia sat at the table and placed her head in her hooves. Renshu didn't seem to be awake yet (or if he was, he hadn't yet come downstairs.) She didn't know how to tell him that she no longer desired his company while at work. Her mind was a-whirl with everything that had happened lately...those few moments between her and Renshu not being the least of them.

In fact, it's what had been bothering her the most. She had no idea what he was getting at. She certainly knew that he was generally a bad character and that perhaps playing mind-games was not beneath him, but...the fact that he had acted..._interested_, bothered her on a level she was not comfortable with. She sat thinking for a while, wondering how best to deal with Renshu when he came down – but it was too late, as he entered into the room before she could even form a greeting.

"How nice to see you awake," he said.

Her mouth parted but no words came out.

"Did I miss the meal?" he asked, half-jokingly.

"You...no, you didn't. Here," she got up and served him what was left of the food.

"Thanks."

"Listen...Renshu...I was thinking...maybe I'll set up shop by myself today."

He raised his eyes to meet hers. "Why the change of mind?"

"I've just been thinking...it's probably too dangerous for you to be seen in public, even with a mask on. That is...first of all, if you came with me, then everyone would know that _I_ was the person who led the wolf away, when his mask came off..."

She was none too convincing, never having been very good at lying.

He called her bluff, of course. "What are you trying to do?" He frowned. "Leave me here so you can sic the authorities on me while you three cower behind them?"

She shook her head. "No, that's not it!"

"Then why the sudden change of mind?"

"I told you! I don't think it's safe, and besides, if anyone thought that I was helping you, I'd be in trouble, too – _along_ with my sisters!"

He stood up. "Have it your way, sheep. I can see through a lie as well as the next person. I know you're up to no good." He headed back up to the guest room in the manner of an angry child.

Jia sighed and put a hoof to her face. This hadn't gone at all how she had hoped...but then, this was Renshu...no matter what excuse she came up with, chances were, he was going to be offended.

She glanced out the nearest window. Already the sun was up and shining over their little garden, lighting the dewdrops in an array of quivering orbs. Jia hurried herself out the door with her portable restaurant. She would have to talk to Renshu later, but right now she was almost late for work. She set her own schedule for what time she showed up and what time she needed to leave, but she was very strict with it. And already she had dawdled longer than she meant to.

She double-checked to make sure she had everything with her, cast one last glance up toward the guest room, then went out the door – praying that things would go well – that Lihua's task would not be in vain, that Shu would be in good hands with Miss Wen, that Renshu would still be at the house and in a better mood when she got back...and, if all else failed, maybe she could earn some extra money that day.

* * *

><p>Had it not been for her personal problems, Jia would have considered it a near-perfect day. Besides the weather being the most beautiful she had seen since the storm, the city was bustling and business was thriving. So much, in fact, that it almost took her mind off her troubles completely. She was kept very busy, answering to one order after another.<p>

'Wait until I tell Lihua and Shu how great business was! They'll be so happy,' she thought as she served another bowl of rice to an eager customer. Rice itself isn't that enticing unless one does something to make it interesting, but Jia's rice was phenomenally tasty, the secret of which only she knew about.

It was around midday when she began to run out of supplies.

'Oh dear...' She looked in all of her small cupboards, but couldn't find the ingredients she needed. 'I must have run out.' She took a small sign from one of the drawers and placed it on the counter, saying that she would be right back.

Taking her small purse with her, she went to the nearest market stall and chose the ingredients she needed. The owner of the stall, a goose whom Jia recognized as Ming, asked if she could help Jia find anything.

"Yes, one thing I'm looking for is a ginger root. Not too big, mind you."

"Ah, you are in luck, I just got a shipment in today," the goose smiled and shuffled through her crates.

While Jia waited, she studied the other produce for sale.

There were two other customers browsing around the same stall and chatting with one another. Jia idly caught pieces of their conversation – which she ordinarily wouldn't have done, had she not heard something that shocked her.

"Did you hear about the wolf sighting?" one of the shoppers, a pig, asked her companion.

"Yes – I hear they're still on the lookout for him," said the rabbit.

"Can you believe it? A wolf, in the city, after they banished them all!"

"I hope they find him and put him in his place. After what they did to this place and its' people, it's a wonder they got off as easy as they did."

"Quite so. And did you hear that the authorities have a reward out for the wolf?"

"No, I hadn't -"

Jia ran off before the shopkeeper returned with the ginger root. "Here it is! The perfect size and...where did she go?"

The worried sheep ran a little ways down the street until she came to an alleyway and turned the corner. "Oh no...oh no, oh no..." she held her head. "What am I going to do? Renshu's in trouble!"

"_Renshu_?" Came a harsh voice.

Jia's head shot up, and before she could say another word, she suddenly found herself in the clutches of a wolf - that was _not_ Renshu.

The wolf clasped a hand around her mouth, as Renshu had done all those nights ago, and brought his face beside hers.

"You said '_Renshu_'...what do you know about Renshu, sheep? _Answer_ me!"

She shook her head, trying to break free from the wolfs' grip on her. The wolf, obviously deciding that the alley was not the safest, most secluded place to be holding a captive, retreated to a darker corner behind an abandoned building.

He stopped and turned his captive around to face him.

"Now answer me!"

She gasped, and answered his question with one of her own. "Are you Zhong, or Bolin?"

The wolfs' eyes slightly widened. "Yes, I am Bolin. How do you know my name, and what do you know of Renshu and Zhong?"

"Renshu's looking for you – he's residing at my house," she explained, cowering under the wolfs' stern glare.

He grabbed her by her clothing, brought her face close to his, and said: "Tell me where he is – and no lies, or it will mean your _life_."

She hesitated, breathing shallowly under her fear and panic. "...I...I live on the eastern side of the city, near the courtyards with the koi ponds...My house is the one with the garden out front...there's a sign on the door for luck."

"_Zhong_!" the wolf barked.

Another wolf appeared from under the covering of some plants.

"I know where Renshu is," said Bolin to who was obviously Zhong. "This sheep has told me – she said Renshu is staying in her house. Take her," he shoved Jia into Zhong's arms. "I'll get Renshu and then we can finally get out of here!" He took off.

"You know Renshu?" Zhong asked, more to himself than to her. "Well, that ought to make for an interesting story. And you'll have lots of time to tell it."

He bound her mouth and hands. She struggled as much as she could, she tried screaming for help, but no one could hear her. It was clear that Bolin and Zhong meant to take her as captive, or hostage.

The next thing she knew, she was being lifted in Zhong's arms and carried to who-knew-where. Zhong eventually set her down and undid the cloth binding her mouth.

"Can't have you screaming the whole way," was the last thing she heard from him before he forced something dark against her face.

She blacked out and knew nothing more.

**A/N:** Sorry I haven't updated this in a while. I've become inspired again, watching the second Kung Fu Panda movie, so I hope I don't suffer from another bout of writer's block and abandon this story. ^_^ I like where it's heading so far, and I hope you do, too (more so, I hope you reviewers also haven't lost interest. XD)


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